Finding Redemption
by Kihte
Summary: (FMAB based w/2003 mix) Ishvalan military dog, Linor Ziegler, joined for one reason- to become an Ishvalan influence and make a change. Shunned by her kin, Linor still strives to change the views and treatment of Ishvalans in Amestris. However, her ties and loyalty to Roy Mustang get her into a whole new breed of trouble she wasn't prepared for. Eventual Scar/OC, slight Falman/OC
1. Ishvalan Military Dog

Oh no, another story to add to my list of unfinished ones! Except I have a LOT in mind for this story to the point where I fleshed out the OCs past, present, and future looks, as well as her unique transmutation circle, her past (complete with ages), and her alchemy down to the last detail. HAHA I'M OK I PROMISE. Anyway, a lot of this will be strewn throughout the story so unanswered questions will be answered later!

* * *

_Loud footsteps quickly echoed the halls of the Military's Eastern Command. The blue tail of the standard military uniform trailed behind a young woman, her violent footsteps threatening to let down her bun of jet-black hair. Her short, diamond face was contorted into anger; her thin lips were pursed into a frown, a slight tinge of red was dusted across her tanned face, and her crimson eyes- hidden behind shaded glasses- were narrowed dangerously. Thoughts of what the woman had overheard filled her head, bouncing around violently in her skull as she stormed the halls towards the front of the building. Catching a glimpse of the infamous flash of red, harsh footsteps suddenly stopped in front of an open window. Crimson eyes looked down upon the boy leaving the Eastern Command- the State's new prodigy alchemist, Edward Elric. With a sneer and an irritated 'tch' the woman violently turned on her heel and backtracked down the hallway._

_Forcefully pushing open the door to Roy Mustang's office, the woman found the man lazily scribbling at his paperwork, his Lieutenant noticeably missing from his side- probably running errands for him. Unfazed by the sudden intrusion, the man's dark eyes kept locked on the papers in front of him. Knowing he was probably expecting her, the woman's own eyes narrowed suspiciously._

_"Something eating at you, Major Ziegler?" His calm voice asked._

_"What's the military playing at, Roy?" The woman growled, finally getting the Colonel to look up from his work. His eyes shifted to the door and the woman stepped further into the office to shut it behind her. "A twelve-year-old boy, really?" With the door closed, her voice rose slightly, and Roy folded his hands on the desk in front of him. "Some of us had to risk an arm and leg to get in here and he's handed a title like it's candy!" Roy swiveled around in his chair to look out of his large office window._

_"Under the circumstances, that's probably a bad idiom to use, Major, don't you think?" Realizing what she had said, the woman sneered, an embarrassed flush crossing her tan cheeks._

_"It was unintended, sir." She mumbled under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear. _

_"Listen, Major," Roy began, his tone serious and low as he turned to face her. "I understand your frustration, but you can't bring your personal problems into the workplace. You want to prove your worth? Suck it up and let this fuel you, not hinder you. You're already walking on eggshells with most of the personnel here- allowing this to get to you will only make it worse." The woman clenched her hands and grit her teeth at his bluntness._

_"They'd sooner let a child into the military than an Ishvalan!" She barked, "If it weren't for you, they'd have written me off and chased me out of Central! Yet they let the boy in without a second thought!" She practically yelled, trying to keep from getting too loud in fear of prying ears. Huffing in anger, the woman began pacing in her spot, unsure how to let out her irritation without yelling or destroying something. Settling for some deep breathing, she rubbed her temples with her fingers. Satisfied her tantrum was cooling down, Roy placed his elbows on his desk and laced his fingers together, resting his chin on them._

_"True, they would," He began, dark eyes locked onto his coworker and seeing her tense. "But so what? You're here now, a certified State Alchemist, and if you want to make a change, you need to face all the trials that come with being an Ishvalan military dog." The woman was silent, unmoving, letting Roy's words sink in. "That's why you're here, isn't it? To make a change?" Roy was met with silence and picked up his pen to begin scribbling on his papers again when he realized she wouldn't fight him on the matter. "Is there anything else you need, Major?" Eyes still focused on the ground, the woman's lips contorted into a sneer._

_"No, Colonel," She mumbled, knowing the man was right yet again. "Thank you for your time, sir." Pivoting on her heel, the alchemist left the room, gently closing the door behind her._

#

Linor tapped the tip of her pen on the corner of her report paper, the metal cap sitting gently between her teeth and the voices of several of Mustang's subordinates ringing in her ears. Apparently, the slacker Alchemist had pawned off the majority of his paperwork to his underlings and they had to split the work amongst them. Thankfully for Linor, she didn't serve under Mustang and avoided any extra work he had shoved off to them. Unluckily, she still had work of her own to do, though she chose to spend her work time with Mustang's crew, and they were pleasant enough company.

"Hey, Linor," Breda called, getting the woman to stop her tapping and look up, her shades blocking any eye-contact between the two. "I'll take you out to lunch if you take a stack." Twirling the pen cap between her teeth, Linor looked back down at her work.

"Normally I would, but I've got my own work to do." Her scratchy voice replied between the pen cap, eyes scanning the reports over multiple times. "I think I left the referral reports for this in my office…" She mumbled mostly to herself, flipping through the pages she had on hand.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just finish in your office instead of bringing your whole office here?" Riza remarked, her attention never leaving her own stack of work. Linor removed the cap from her mouth and eyed the large pile of papers on the couch next to her. Straightening her back against the couch and flinging one leg over her other, Linor pursed her lips.

"Maybe I like your guys' company." She bit back, but Havoc rolled the unlit cigarette between his lips and called her bluff.

"Or you're hiding from your commanding officer." He drawled, his eyes scanning the remainder of the report he was reading. Linor rested her arms along the back of the couch, her fingers still clutching the heap in her hands.

"Okay, you caught me," She admitted, "Lieutenant Colonel Archer has been up my ass lately." She explained, lolling her head back and closing her eyes with a sigh.

"I'm sure that's what he wants," Havoc muttered quietly, though Linor caught it and sneered.

"I would never," Just thinking of Frank Archer in such a way made Linor shudder. "Attractive, sure, but I dunno, he gives me the creeps." With a slight smirk, Linor shook the papers in her hand lightly. "But he sure as hell won't come near Mustang's office if he doesn't have to." Feeling the weight of the papers she was fanning, Linor groaned. "But ya know, maybe if it got me out of all this paperwork…" Falman nearly choked on his coffee at her quip and Linor eyed him questioningly. "You ok over there, Falman?" Still catching his breath, the Warrant Officer raised a hand and waved her concern off as the rest of his friends continued about their business nonchalantly.

"Master Sergeant Fuery, how's the radio?" Riza asked the soldier who was currently struggling with the worn radio in front of him.

"The receiver on this thing has seen better days," Kain admitted, tinkering with the old electronic. "I think I'm going to have to replace it." As if on cue, a clap sounded in the room and a small gloved hand tapped the radio to life.

"Hey, it's Edward and Alphonse!" Kain exclaimed excitedly.

"Welcome back, boys." Riza greeted pleasantly as Linor rose a welcoming hand in their direction. It had been three years since Edward had joined the military and over the time, Linor had gotten quite fond of the two brothers despite her initial resentment towards the protegee alchemist. They were brave, funny, and intelligent children and while Linor still held some jealousy towards Edward, she couldn't dislike him, no matter how hard she might have tried in the beginning. "Go on in, the Colonel's expecting you." With a noticeable grimace on Edward's face, the boy reluctantly headed for Roy's office door.

"Oh," Ed called suddenly, turning to look at Linor, "I almost forgot, some bigwig or something was looking for you, Major." Even without a name, Linor rolled her head and let out a long, exaggerated groan.

"I should have known it was only a matter of time," She whined, slumping on the couch for a moment before slowly starting to gather her papers. "Thanks for telling me," Though she really didn't sound all that thankful. Ed gave her a nod of acknowledgment before the two headed into Mustang's office. "I wonder what the Lieutenant Colonel wants this time…" The woman mumbled, rubber banding and paperclipping her work together. "Alright, well, duty calls, guys. Good luck with the Colonel's paperwork." Linor joked, seeing Havoc look like he was about to fall asleep and singe the documents on Youswell; though she still got a few groans and lazy farewells.

"Uhm, Major Ziegler?" Falman called, making Linor look over her shoulder curiously. "D-did you maybe want to grab some lunch later today?" Rubbing her temple and releasing a loud sigh, Linor gave Falman an apologetic look.

"I'd love to, but I get the feeling Lieutenant Colonel Archer is about to flood my workload. I might even have to work through lunch…" Linor explained, her last sentence said quietly and trailing off unhappily. "Sorry, Falman. You guys can have lunch without me." She assured, throwing a wave of her hand goodbye as she left. Falman kept his gaze locked on where the female alchemist stood, feeling the eyes of his friends on him, but not really caring.

"He swings, and he misses," Breda remarked coolly, earning a sob-like sound from Falman.


	2. The State Alchemist Killer

Omg I'm excited for the chapters after this, Scar incoming! I'm going to kind of follow the FMA:B storyline for this pretty closely- I'm doing a lot of research to make it as cannon as possible while sprucing it up a bit.

* * *

When Linor is right, she's right. Of course, Lt. Colonel Archer had added another day's worth of paperwork onto her load and she was two days deep into it. With a yawn and some light taps of her palms to her cheeks, Linor pushed her sunglasses up with her fingers and rubbed her eyes. Looking to the clock on her office wall, Linor fully took off her glasses and set them on her desk, rubbing her face roughly.

"Almost seven…" She groaned, tapping her fingers on her pile of work, debating on if she wanted to do a bit more or save it for tomorrow. Hearing the pattering of rain on her window and the dreary ticking of the clock, Linor sighed and returned her glasses to her face. Standing up with a stretch, the woman smacked her desk lightly. "Long day again tomorrow, I guess" She mumbled, shuffling her work into a neat stack. A light knock on her office door shocked her, but she mumbled a 'come in' anyway.

"You're working late, Major," Seeing Roy enter her office, Linor stepped out from behind her desk.

"Colonel," She greeted a bit surprised. "I was actually just heading out, what brings you here?" While Linor owed much to the Mustang man and they got along more than just fairly well, he rarely ever came down to her part of the Eastern Command, focusing mostly on his own division and happenings with the Elric boys.

"Sorry to bother you, but I have some things you need to look over." He replied, stepping closer and holding out yet another stack of papers. Dropping her head a bit defeated, Linor hesitantly took them. Seeing his own name and division number typed across the top, she looked up to him and opened her mouth. "Involving the Elric Brothers," That explained why it was addressed to him, but she eyed him questioningly. "I know they're for me, but those boys have kept me swamped with all their antics lately." She almost gestured to the large stack on her desk but refrained- those boys did keep the Colonel busier than others seemed to think. "Besides, I thought you might want to have a look at them."

"What are they?" She questioned, briefly scanning over the documents.

"The Shou Tucker case," Narrowing her eyes, she flipped over one of the numerous pages.

"Weren't you already looking into that?" She pointed out, remembering hearing about the incident earlier that day during lunch. "Wasn't his verdict already decided?" Roy was silent for a moment, making Linor peer up at him from over her lenses.

"He was murdered," Linor almost dropped the papers, "As was the chimera." Leaning back onto her desk, Linor dropped her shades slightly to look over the papers a bit better. She went to ask 'who' and 'how', but Roy looked over her shoulder to the rain-battered window. "It seems to be the same man that was murdering military personnel in Central." Placing the papers down on her desk behind her, Linor took off her glasses completely this time.

"You're kidding," She mumbled, looking directly at Roy who showed no signs of joking.

"Unfortunately not," He muttered back, "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes came down to investigate, he said the resemblance was identical." Unable to hold eye contact any longer, Linor's gaze drifted to the floor. "I understand you and Lieutenant Colonel Archer have been looking into the matters lightly with Hughes." Gripping her shades in one hand and clasping her chin in thought with the other, Linor hummed.

"Yes, we have, but we haven't had any incidents here, we've only been exchanging intel." Linor explained, a deep and concerned frown plastering her face. "If Lieutenant Colonel Hughes believes these deaths are the same in nature as the ones in Central, that means Scar is here in the East."

"Scar?" Roy questioned, earning a brief nod from Linor.

"The murderer. Is Lieutenant Colonel Hughes still here?" Roy uttered a curt 'yes' and Linor swiftly put her glasses securely back over her eyes. "I need to speak with him." Mustang was silent for a moment but agreed, and Linor followed him out of her office.

#

Hughes, Hawkeye, and another man Linor hadn't recognized were gathered solemnly outside of Roy's office. Self-consciously pushing her shades further up her face due to the two from Central, the youngest soldier followed closely behind Roy. When the duo approached, catching the eyes of the trio, Linor stepped up to Hughes and bowed.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, it's been a while." Hughes offered a friendly nod in return, obviously lost in thought so Linor didn't feel offended in the least, especially considering their situation. She had met Hughes once, briefly, but their interaction mostly consisted of phone calls; however, recently, Hughes had been exponentially busy and they hadn't had too much contact in the past week. Linor's hidden gaze looked up to the large stranger and she bowed before offering her hand. "Major Linor Ziegler, a pleasure, though I wish under better circumstances." She greeted, getting a firm shake from the man whose hand dwarfed her own.

"Major Alex Louis Armstrong, and yes, the circumstances are quite dire." His deep voice vibrated, releasing her hand and allowing her to take a seat next to Mustang.

"I hear Scar is possibly here in the East." Linor started, mostly addressing Hughes who looked at the floor thoughtfully.

"Not possibly, _is_." Hughes corrected, his eyes narrowing. "We have reports of him boarding the train from Central." Linor's chest clenched at the confirmation and she grit her teeth in worry. "And with the death of Shou Tucker and his chimera, it all but confirms it." Roy who had sat quietly shifted on the bench.

"So, Scar?" He asked, obviously not as much in the know as his comrades.

"Yeah, we don't really know much about him, so that's what we're calling him." Hughes mumbled, his intelligent mind no doubt bubbling with questions.

"Our target is both unidentified and elusive, the only information we've been able to obtain about him is that he has a large scar on his forehead." Alex explained, his words putting Roy into a pensive posture.

"The Military Police Command Center sent us down here once we got wind of Scar's train hop and what do we find but his handy work." Hughes added with a small sigh. "Meanwhile my work has been piling up, my head hurts." Linor nibbled on her inner lip at the news being thrown at her.

"But why would he come East?" Linor asked to no one in particular. "He only targets State Alchemists, surely if he was after them all, he would still be in Central to finish them off. Maybe he's only after a select few?" Hughes shook his head.

"No, there doesn't seem to be any clear correlation between his attacks besides the fact they're State Alchemists. It's a possibility, but it seems unlikely. More so, if he was only after a target few, why only a select group of State Alchemists? That seems a bit too particular." With a 'tch', Linor folded her hands between her open legs. Smart man that he was, she should have known Hughes thought everything he could through and if he was stumped, it was concerning.

"He's killed five State Alchemists in Central already and body count nationwide is up to ten." Alex informed, shedding more light on the severity of the situation.

"And five days ago, he took down old man Grand." Hughes said slowly, making the Eastern Command trio gasp.

"The Brigadier General?" The Colonel exclaimed, "But, he's an expert in weapons transmutation." Finally retracting his gaze from the floor, Hughes looked directly at Roy.

"And that shows you how dangerous this guy is." Linor leaned back in the bench against the wall. With their lack of communication the past week, he hadn't informed her about this and she hadn't realized how serious the situation actually was. Yes, he had murdered several alchemists, but to have not only the gall but the skills to go one on one with a Brigadier General gave his presence a whole new level of dangerous. "You should increase your escort and lay low for a while, nobody will blame you." Linor looked over at Mustang whose eyes flickered with disbelief- she worried for the man. Yes, she feared for herself as well, but Roy Mustang, Hero of Ishval, was a far more notorious name than hers. "You two and Tucker are the only State Alchemists of note in this area, right?" Hughes asked, making Linor's stomach drop.

"Oh no," Roy whispered, the terrible realization hitting him- Edward Elric.


	3. Red-Eyed Brother

Ok finally we meet Scar! I wanted to try and make this as close to the episode as possible, but after writing a lot, I figured it would be too boring so I had Linor jump in- give her and Scar some good interaction. More about Linor will be explained in the next chapter- a LOT more such bits of her past, her appearance (because we all know Ishvalans don't have black hair), and her alchemy.

* * *

"Where is he, Major?" Roy barked to Linor who had her hand out of the cracked window of the speeding car.

"I-I don't know, Colonel," She stuttered, trying to control her breathing to not upset the vibrations she was picking up with her alchemy. "The rain is making it hard to pick up vibrations and the cars are too loud…" Linor admitted uneasily, swallowing a lump in her throat and looking at her wristband that glowed with a dim, blue light. The car sped around a corner making Linor slide quickly into Falman who shared the back seat with her. Scrambling back over to the window, Linor looked out into the rain. Struggling to pick up on something, anything, Linor held her breath. Feeling a small, irregular tremor Linor hastily leaned over the center console of the car. "They're close! Right turn, Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Quickly swerving the wheel and knocking Linor into Falman's lap, the car soon jolted to a stop, the several other vehicles behind them doing the same. Pushing herself off Falman, Linor jumped out of the car with her comrades to see a familiar red jacketed boy laying on the floor, a towering man hovering over him.

The screaming of Alphonse pierced through the veil of rain as the stranger reached for Edward. As the rest of the Eastern Command group readied their weapons, Roy popped a shot into the air.

"That's enough!" The Colonel barked, earning the attention of both Scar and Edward. "You won't be killing anybody else today, Scar." When the murderer looked over to the interferer, he was met with a squad of pistols aimed directly for him. Linor stood next to Falman, her pistol pointed at the infamous man as well, her heart pounding violently in her chest. "I'm taking you into custody where you will answer for the murderers of at least 10 State Alchemists." Roy informed, as Scar slowly pulled his hand away from Edward.

"Alchemists alter things from their natural form," Scar began, his deep voice obscured by the rain, but loud enough for the soldiers to hear. "converting them to something else, something grotesque." The squad was silent, curious and confused at what the man was saying. Linor observed the man as he spoke, her glasses being pelted by raindrops. His appearance intrigued her- dark skin, only a shade or two darker than hers and the white hair… "They profane God, the true creator of all things." Linor's arm faltered a bit at his appearance, but she shook the thoughts out of her mind and kept her aim steady. "As an agent of God, I'm here to hand down his judgment. If you interfere, I will eliminate you as well." A bolt of fear rushed through Linor at his bold words- was he crazy? The man was held at gunpoint by State Military and he had the nerve to threaten Mustang?

"Oh, is that right?" Roy drawled, suddenly handing his gun to Riza who took it with shock. "You guys stay out of it," The Colonel instructed to his troops, pulling on his glove tighter and taking a few steps forward.

"Colonel Mustang, sir!" Riza barked, though her words fell on deaf ears. With a scowl, Linor re-holstered her gun and rushed to stand in front of Roy.

"With all due respect, Colonel," Linor began, her gaze never leaving Scar. "You can't do much in the rain." As if forgetting his obvious weakness, Roy went silent.

"Colonel Mustang? So, this is the Flame Alchemist," Scar muttered, stepping off from over the Elric boy. "This is truly an auspicious day!" He spat, making a beeline for Linor and the man behind her. Feeling her heart nearly stop, Linor quickly smacked her hands together and held them out in front of her, a small sonic wave smacking Scar in the chest and pushing him back, skidding across the pavement.

"You hit him!" Fuery called excitedly, though Linor only swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, but it won't keep him back. It's not exactly a warzone." The woman muttered, realizing her alchemy wasn't exactly the strongest in their current situation. Scar straightened himself, quickly brushing off the blunt impact and sneered.

"The Roaring Sound Alchemist," Scar said, making Linor go rigid. "I know how you work," He informed, taking a few steps forward. "You should be an easy kill as long as I keep the sound to a minimum."

"So, you've done your homework?" Linor quipped, a forced smile on her face. Without another word, Scar rushed forward and Linor clapped once again but was interrupted by a large fist almost connecting with the side of Scar's face.

"You have to be quick to avoid my fist," Armstrong's voice rang out. "Not bad, not bad at all," He praised, taking Scar's attention away from the Eastern personnel. Relaxing slightly, Linor rushed over with Havoc to Edward who still laid helplessly on the wet pavement.

"Ed, are you alright?" Linor asked, helping the boy sit up. His automail arm was missing and Linor noticed it strewn to pieces on the street. The child uttered a dazed 'yeah' as he watched Armstrong and Scar go at it. When Alex demolished a large part of the street pavement, Havoc quickly stood up.

"Major, watch what you're doing! We don't want to destroy the city, do we?" The smoker barked, earning a lecture about alchemy from Alex. Standing up herself, Linor pushed her glasses up onto her face more.

"Allow me to assist you, Major," Linor suggested, approaching the two. "With all the noise you're making, perhaps I can make myself useful." Clapping her hands together, Linor released another small shockwave aimed straight for Scar. Quickly jumping out of the way, Scar sneered at the woman.

"Fine, I guess I'll have to purge all of you." Scar replied, slamming his hand into the ground, the pavement lifting and shattering in a line towards Linor. With another clap, Linor rushed out of the way and sent a more powerful blast which Scar easily avoided. Not allowing the criminal time to breathe, Alex rushed forward and threw a series of punches his way, though not a single one connected. Slowly the duo backed the man into a corner and with a resounding 'bang' from Hawkeye's rifle, Scar stumbled back and his shades fell to the floor with a silent clatter. Linor froze, her breath caught in her throat at the red eyes that stared back at her.

"You're Isvalan," She muttered, her own hidden red eyes unmoving from his. No one moved, every soldier silent and shocked still, but Linor took a few cautious steps forward. As Scar rose his hand to attack, Linor reached up and removed her sunglasses. With an inaudible gasp, Scar's hand faltered and their eyes locked. "Why are you doing this?" Linor asked after a prolonged silence. A deep scowl spread across Scar's face at her question.

"I think I should be asking you why you betrayed our people!" He bit back harshly, making Linor mimic his expression at his sudden outburst. "You're one of them!" He barked, making Linor clench her fists.

"I haven't betrayed our people! I'm trying to help them!" She screamed, her eyes narrowing dangerously at him. A skeptical scoff passed the Ishvalan man's lips.

"By helping the dogs that destroyed our homeland? The military that massacred our people?" It felt like he had punched her in the gut with his shouts and Linor gritted her teeth. "By going against the Great God Ishvala, you're no better than the Amestrians that killed our kin!"

"What do you know!?" She spat back angrily. "What you're doing is wrong!"

"I'm taking revenge for my people!" Scar snapped back quickly, making Linor take a step back from his harshness. "For all the innocent lives lost in Ishval by those dogs!" Hearing enough, Linor quickly clapped her hands together, but Scar swiftly slammed his own hand down onto the pavement, making it shake and explode in front of him. Dust and rubble filled the air and when it cleared, the Ishvalan was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn, he escaped into the sewers," Roy grumbled, warning his troops to stay back and let him go. Finally turning to face her allies, Linor shied her eyes away from Alex who looked at her with surprise.

"You're an Ishvalan too," He whispered to her as she replaced her glasses back to their rightful place on her face. Muttering a solemn 'yeah', she brushed past Alex to approach Mustang.

"Well, it seems we have a lot to discuss," Mustang said to Linor, Alex, and Hughes who had been safely back on the sidelines the whole time. The female crossed her arms over her chest uncomfortably as the group diverted their attention to the Elric brothers- one of which was a broken, hollow suit of armor completely exposed to the Central soldiers. "A lot to discuss," He added as he eyed the youngest brother. Hunching her back, Linor's palms began to sweat at the impending conversation back at command.


	4. All Cards on the Table

Falman is literally such a cutie, I can't with him. Obviously, this isn't a Falman/OC story, but that doesn't mean I can't have a smidgen bit of love for him thrown in there. He's so overlooked anyway. But yeah, this is a lot of information about Linor and I tried to make it as realistic sounding as possible, but big chunks of information is hard to make into a normal conversation; I hope it's not too cringey.

* * *

The large group was gathered in the Colonel's office, Mustang explaining the Civil War to Edward and Alphonse who were completely in the dark about Ishvalans and their past. Linor sat on the couch with Havoc and Breda though she shoved herself as far away from them as she could. Her arms wrapped defensively around her abdomen, feeling stray eyes look her way every now and again, making her want nothing more than to shove her shades back on her face and hide.

"In a sense, his revenge is justified," Roy muttered at the end of his history lesson, getting a scowl from Edward.

"No way! There's no justification for taking revenge on people who had nothing to do with it." Ed explained, his eyes burning with anger. Listening to the ire in Ed's voice made Linor flinch slightly. For the last three years of their acquaintanceship, Linor had yet to tell Edward about her heritage- the boys had inquired about her unusual choice of sunglasses once before, but when she brushed it off as just a preference, they hadn't really asked about it again. With his introduction to Ishvalans being a bad one, she knew he felt betrayed.

"Still, he's coming at us with full force. We can't let ourselves be killed for his cause." Roy warned with a pause. When Linor looked up at him, she saw his gaze directly on her. "Next time, there will be no more talk." A resounding 'yes, sir' echoed the room and Linor looked down. She could hear Hughes talking to Ed about their next move, but she wasn't really paying attention. She kept thinking about the elephant in the room and how Roy was going to bring it up. "Well, you boys better start preparing for your trip then, we have some more business we have to discuss." The room went silent and Linor could feel Edward staring at her, though she didn't look up to meet his gaze. "Breda, Havoc, would you mind helping Alphonse? I need Major Armstrong here." Agreeing in their usual formalities, the two stood and heaved the shattered metal heap out of the room. Ed kept his stare lingering on Linor a little while longer before leaving with them silently. When the click of the door sounded, all attention was on Linor and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. As if no one knew exactly what to say, a short silence followed the departure of the boys before Linor decided to speak up.

"So, what do you want to know?" She asked quietly, addressing Hughes and Armstrong, her uncovered gaze avoiding them at all costs.

"I guess we should start with, 'Why did you join the military?'" Hughes started, leaning forward in his seat and resting his elbows on his thighs. Taking a deep breath, Linor straightened her back- she had a feeling this was going to be a long conversation.

"To help my people," Linor began, "The military has influence, State Alchemists have influence. If I could be an Ishvalan authority, maybe one-day people will see we aren't bad."

"And how do you suppose you'll do that without telling people you're Ishvalan?" Furrowing her brows, Linor finally looked up at Hughes.

"I have to get there first." She replied, "I need people to trust me." Linor drifted to look at Roy who sat at his desk silently as if encouraging her to continue. "I need to make a real name for myself before I let it out."

"How many people know?"

"Well, everyone at Eastern Command- I couldn't really hide it for very long." Finally releasing her defensive hold on her abdomen, Linor rested her arm on the side of the couch. "Fuhrer Bradley, obviously." She added, "Not many else aside from that. I don't see the reason why anyone outside of the Eastern Command needs to know." Looking Hughes straight in the eye, Linor gave him a serious look. "If you knew, would you have honestly let me work with you on the Scar case?" Hughes looked taken back, but he broke the eye contact sheepishly and shamefully. "I already get shit here in the East, I don't need it from the rest of the military."

"I know you said you wanted to help your people," Armstrong said, now getting the attention from the room. "But what encouraged you to join? Surely you lived through the War, do you not feel resentment towards us?" Pursing her lips, Linor looked down.

"What would that accomplish?" She asked earnestly, "Sure I was angry at one point, but what would anger and resentment have done to help my people?" Narrowing her eyes thoughtfully, Linor sighed. "I might be branded as a heretic and traitor now, but what I'm doing, I'm doing for the good of all future Ishvalans." Her answer seemed to have struck a chord with Alex and Hughes as they were silent; Falman, Riza, and Fuery keeping silent as well but holding their attention on the conversation even though they already knew Linor's story. Soon recovering, the questions continued from Hughes.

"So, are you… half Ishvalan?" He asked a bit warily, hoping he didn't come off as a total ass, his attention shifting from her face to her hair. Seeing his gaze, Linor ran her hand over a large strand of loose, black tresses.

"No, but my natural hair color makes it harder to fit in." Linor saw Hughes shift a bit, as if uncomfortable or afraid to ask any more questions. "You can continue." She assured, noticing that he still hesitated a bit, but continued anyway.

"So, then your name…?" He trailed off, referring to her Amestrian-friendly name.

"Changed," She quickly replied, feeling a bit more comfortable now that the two Central officers weren't yelling in her face about her ethnicity. "Any more questions?" She asked as earnestly as possible, not wanting to sound rude about them putting her through the wringer- she wanted to trust them, confide in them, she rarely had anyone outside of Mustang's group that she could. After a pause, Alex stepped forward a bit.

"My apologies if this comes off as impolite, but how did you get admitted into the military." Linor let out a small chuckle and looked over at Roy.

"Not easily, let me tell you." She began, giving the Flame Alchemist a small smile. "I owe Colonel Mustang over there a lot." Obviously surprised at how helpful the cold man seemed to be lately, Hughes and Armstrong gave him a questionable look. "If it weren't for him and his silver-tongue, they would have turned me away without a second thought."

"He was present during your exam?" Hughes asked astounded.

"He was the one who recommended me," Linor replied with a breathy laugh. Pouting his lips, Hughes mumbled something under his breath akin to 'he never tells me anything'. "The Colonel and I crossed paths several years ago in Aquroya. I was training there, and he convinced me to become a State Alchemist." The two alchemist locked eyes and the corner or Roy's lips quirked into a half smile.

"So then, let's talk about your alchemy," Hughes prodded, folding his hands together and resting his stubbly chin on them. "I know this is off topic, but I'm quite curious. You seemed to be pretty skeptical about your abilities before Major Armstrong jumped in." A bit more comfortable with the change of topic, Linor cracked a small, grateful smile.

"Yes, my alchemy is a bit… environmentally reliant." She admitted, fiddling with the glasses she had at some point taken out of her uniform pocket. "I'm a sound alchemist, you see. I deconstruct water molecules and use the singular atoms to produce heat and generate pressure. Then I manipulate that pressure and use sound vibrations to amplify them and create shockwaves." Realizing the non-alchemy savvy soldiers didn't understand most of what she had said, Linor scratched the back of her head with a bit of a sheepish smile. "I need loud noises to make a bigger boom, otherwise I'm not much help." Rubbing her hands together, Linor looked down to her custom transmutation circle on her wristband. "I'm working on it though," She muttered.

"Well," Hughes said seriously, standing from the couch he sat on. An emotionless expression sat on his face and Linor worried the conversation didn't go as well as she had thought. Her palms began to sweat, but a goofy smile soon broke out on his face and he reached out a hand. "You won't have to worry; your secret is safe with us." He promised, his trick causing a grin to pull at Linor's lips.

"Thank you," She whispered gratefully, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Thank _you _for sharing, I know it probably wasn't easy. I didn't want to run you through the wringer like that, but with this new information about Scar…" Linor held up a hand to stop him, a smile on her face.

"Don't worry about it, I understand." Standing up herself, Linor finally put her glasses back on. "I appreciate the open-mindedness, maybe one day the rest of Amestris will be as understanding." Moving to shake hands with Armstrong, Linor gave the big man a cheeky smile. When he returned both the gestures, she shifted her gaze to Roy. "I should really be heading out now, Colonel. It's late and I have a lot of paperwork to finish tomorrow."

"Of course, have a good night, Major Ziegler." Roy replied with a nod. Linor bowed to Mustang and gave the rest of those in the room a wave.

"Good night all, sorry for taking up your time." A hand gently rested on Linor's shoulder before she could leave and she looked up to a concerned Falman.

"Be careful out there, Major." The Warrant Officer warned, "Scar is still roaming around, and he knows who you are- there's a big target on your head now." Covering his hand with her own, Linor gave him a comforting grin.

"Thank you, Falman, I'll be careful." She reassured, feeling his hand slide off her shoulder as she left.


	5. Snake in the Grass

I had fun writing this chapter despite it being pretty lackluster and short. This is a bit of insight on Linor and Archer's relationship- or lack thereof. So despite Archer being a 2003 exclusive character, I really wanted to include him because he's such an unnerving character imo. He'll play an important-ish part in the story, but I'm kinda gonna move him around to fit my needs.

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Tanned fingers roughly rubbed the black-dyed, bunned-up tresses.

"This doesn't make any sense," Linor muttered, reclining cross-legged on Roy's office couch. Havoc and Hawkeye stood alongside Mustang's desk as the latter informed the two alchemists of the lack of Scar's presence since his incident with the Elrics- no sightings, no murders, no whisper of anything. "He wasn't injured to our knowledge and being on the radar hasn't stopped him before." Jean carefully studied the map of East City on Roy's desk, the back of the Colonel's chair facing his guests as he looked out the window. "He may be elusive, but he isn't cautious, that much is for certain."

"Maybe he's not even in East City anymore?" Havoc suggested.

"I hope you're wrong about that," Roy replied, stunning the others. "This case has obviously gotten to be too much for Central to handle. If I can close it quickly enough, I'll be golden." Linor scoffed and eyed Roy as he swiveled in his chair to face them.

"So, you're planning to take the case then," Linor affirmed, shooting him an entertained look. A grin crossed the man's face.

"I've got a ladder to climb and this is how it's done. I need every mark in my favor that I can get. At least until I've assumed the office of Fuhrer, that is." Linor rolled her eyes as Riza and Jean smiled briskly.

"You might not want to display your ambitions quite so nakedly, sir." His Lieutenant informed though she didn't seem too upset about the matter. With a sigh at his bluntness, Linor stroked the loose hairs back that her harsh rubbing let loose. She was well aware of the man's drive and while she was vocally against him saying such, she held too much admiration and respect for him to be anything but loyal.

"And you think I'm just going to hand over my knowledge about this case for you to take all the credit?" Linor drawled with a cheeky grin, "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes entrusted my division with helping him." Roy's dark eyes glimmered with amusement at her quip.

"You don't have to, Hughes will tell me, and I'll make sure to let the Fuhrer know that he was the one who helped me catch Scar." She narrowed her eyes at his retort, his hands folded in front of him and hiding his evident smirk.

"So, you've twisted my arm," Linor huffed, raising her hands and shrugging playfully. A harsh knock on the door interrupted them, ruining the relaxed mood, and then swung open quickly.

"Reporting in, sir!" A soldier bellowed breathlessly, Linor raising a brow at the urgency in his tone. "We've just received word of an explosion occurring on the Maro River!"

"What?" Roy barked, narrowing his eyes at the soldier. The lower ranking officers looked at each other with concern as Roy swiftly swung open his drawer to snag a pair of his ignite gloves. "Lieutenants, you're coming with me," He ordered, pushing up out of his chair. "Major, can you have those files for me by the time I get back?" He asked brusquely, Linor quickly standing as he brushed past.

"Yes, sir," She saluted. "Are you sure you don't need back up? What if it's-"

"I doubt it's him," Roy interrupted, dismissing the foot soldier at the door. "Not in such a public place at this time, but I do need those files as soon as possible. Who knows when he'll show up again."

"Understood," Linor replied strongly, watching the three leave hastily.

#

Flipping through the alphabetical manila folders in her office drawer, Linor snagged Scar's case file.

"Just when we get a lead," She mumbled, flipping the folder between her body and arm and coolly flinging the office door shut behind her. "He wants to take it," Linor wasn't upset per se, but she was looking forward to being the one to help Hughes close the case. She was banking on the success to help her get brownie points in the trust department, but she was willing to let it go for Roy. Turning the corner, Linor had to stop so abruptly to not run into the person in front of her, that she almost stumbled backward. "Oh, I'm so sorry-" Looking up, she had lost the apologetic look immediately.

"Major Ziegler, what a pleasant surprise." The cool, leveled voice of her commanding officer made her body rigid, and his piercing navy eyes sent a shudder down her spine. Despite the two mere inches from crashing into each other, Frank Archer had yet to move back from their close proximity, so Linor very willingly opened the distance for him.

"Lieutenant Colonel," She greeted blandly, her eyes never leaving his as if he'd pounce the second she looked away. The man unnerved her, she wasn't sure why, but he did- maybe it was his aura, his soulless eyes, his icy demeanor; or perhaps it was his relentless pursuit for her, despite her obvious refusals.

"Where are you off to?" Archer asked casually, his gaze seeming to pierce through her glasses, eyes, and into her soul. Linor faltered for a bit, not particularly wanting to tell him she was helping Roy with the Scar case- one thing she learned about Archer is that he wanted recognition just as much as, if not more, than Mustang himself. If Roy closed the case before Archer did, she had no doubts he would be furious. His eyes trailed down her body to the folder in her hand and a sharp brow was raised inquisitively. "Which reports are those?" Unconsciously gripping the folder a bit tighter, Linor shifted a bit anxiously.

"It's Scar's file, sir. I'm going down to the library to do some research." She lied, hoping his intense gaze couldn't somehow read her mind.

"Oh?" He hummed, making her nervous. "What sort of research?" He inquired, Linor getting the feeling he wasn't actually interested.

"On his alchemy- Fullmetal mentioned something about him not using all the steps of the alchemy process. I thought maybe I could find something to help us take better precautions against him." Archer's lips tugged into an unnerving smile, a silence just long enough to make Linor uncomfortable passed between them.

"Very well," He finally said, the knowing smirk never leaving his face. "Smart woman," He then remarked, though Linor felt like he meant something aside from her false initiative on the case. "Have a good day, Major." Archer cooed, striding past her just close enough to brush his shoulder against hers. After he had turned the corner and she heard his soft steps fade, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Fucking creep," She muttered quietly under her breath before forcing her legs to finally move toward Roy's office. Every step she took, her heart pounded in her chest- she had no reason to be genuinely afraid of Lt. Colonel Archer, and yet she was. Every time he entered the room, she felt her blood chill. Any time his eyes met hers, she felt like she froze. His voice felt like needles prickling her skin and sending shivers down her spine- King Bradley made her feel the same way, yet she understood her fear for him because he was the Fuhrer of Amestris. Though Lt. Colonel Archer was her superior, the anxiety she felt was unreasonable for his rank and she realized it that is was just his mere being that unsettled her.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Linor pushed open the door to Roy's office. As she placed the folder on his desk, she paused. Quickly grabbing one of the unfinished papers from the other side, she placed it over the documents. Handing Roy her information on the case wasn't wrong or even prohibited, yet the anxiety Archer instilled in her made her feel as if doing so would get her in trouble. She hated him for making her feel that way- as if every move she made on Roy's behalf was wrong; making her question everything she did for him.

Shoving her hands in her uniform pockets, Linor looked over her shoulder once more at the case file before leaving. She would have to ask Roy to keep the favor just between them as she _really_ didn't want Archer to know. The lie she told her commanding officer played in her brain multiple times, convincing her feet to move to the Eastern Command library, just in case his slimy ass decided to check up on her. A chill brushed her spine, but she shook it off and continued, unaware of the crystal blue eyes watching her retreat down the hall without the manila folder under her arm.


	6. To Central!

Ok this is a bit longer than normal, but omg was this fun AF to write! It started off so cute... and then it wasn't. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

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"You want me to 'what'?" Linor sputtered, having choked on her coffee just moments ago from the sudden phone call and request. Though the phone was held away from her, as not to hack into the caller's ear, she still heard the loud voice from the other end.

_"Come to Central!" _Hughes repeated over the phone excitedly, not at all phased by her wheezing. _"All our reports on Scar were destroyed in the fire and you and Lieutenant Colonel Archer are the only other ones who were working with us on the case." _Finally catching her breath, Linor returned the receiver to her ear. _"I could really use your help with redeveloping the case files." _He admitted, a sigh escaping Linor's lips.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," She began with a quiet and apologetic groan, "I'm not sure. I still have so much work here to do and-"

_"I'm sure Roy would be more than willing to pick up your load while you are gone!" _Linor almost laughed at his ridiculous notion- as if Mustang didn't have his own unit already doing his work for him, now Hughes was willing to volunteer him for her paperwork as well. _"Major Ziegler," _Hughes said seriously, _"I need your knowledge and documents on this case." _A silence passed between the two and Linor rested her forehead in her hand, pushing her glasses down and rubbing her eyelids harshly.

"I would need to convince Lieutenant Colonel Archer." She grumbled, getting a hearty laugh from Hughes.

_"I knew you would come through, Major! No need, I've already talked to Major General Hakuro!" _Her crimson eyes peered over her shades and narrowed at the receiver that rung out with a pleased laugh- sly bastard had it all planned out from the beginning, just like Roy, and she wondered if he got it from Hughes or vice versa.

"Well isn't that lucky," Linor drawled, a bit irritated. "I'll take the first train to Central tomorrow morning." She informed, tapping her fingernails on the desk. "Just make sure I have a bunk available in the barracks, please?" A baffled scoff came from the other end and Linor raised a thin brow.

_"Nonsense! How could I trouble you like this and make you sleep in the barracks?" _Hughes retorted, _"My wife and I would love to have you!" _The offer rendered Linor speechless. Sure, she had been working with Maes Hughes for several months, but the two had met in person only twice- once briefly when he was visiting Roy in the East and the other just over a week ago- and most of their quality phone time was about work.

"L-Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, I couldn't possibly-"

_"Oh, Major~" _He cooed, cutting her off. _"I insist!" _Linor's lips tugged into a small smile at his persistence. _"Besides, I'm sure my little Elicia would love the company! She's turning four soon! Oh my, she's getting so big!" _The smile on Linor's face widened as she listened to Hughes babble, his sentences becoming so fast she almost had trouble understanding him. When he finally slowed to a stop, the woman chuckled lowly.

"Very well," She murmured, "I'll see you on the 19th then."

_"I'll meet you there," _He replied, hanging up after he had heard a hum of acknowledgment from Linor. Slowly placing the receiver back on the set, she stared at the black telephone- Hughes really was something else. Taking a sip of her lukewarm coffee, Linor rose from her desk with her cup in hand and looked the clock. It was almost time for her lunch break, but she figured she would get ready for her trip to Central- she would have to pack a fair amount of luggage since Hughes had mentioned her staying for at least a week or so, and she also still had to at least mention the trip to Archer, despite how much she would rather just up and leave. Opening the door, Linor jumped and nearly screamed when Falman stood on the other side, his hand up in a motion to knock.

"Geeze, Falman!" Linor gasped, her free hand over her pounding chest. "You scared me." The Warrant Officer- who Linor had noticed jumped in fright himself- scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry 'bout that, Major." He apologized, an embarrassed flush on his cheeks. "I just came to ask if you wanted to join us for lunch. Colonel Mustang said you might be leaving to Central soon." Linor scrunched up her nose at the news.

"Did Lieutenant Colonel Hughes tell literally everyone before me?" She huffed unbelievably, mostly to herself. Rolling her eyes at the audacity of the man, Linor rested her hand on her hip once she knew she wasn't going to have a heart attack. "I was actually going to go pack, I leave on the first train in the morning." Disappointment crossed Vato's face and she could almost see him hunch over a little.

"O-oh, yes, of course." He mumbled, "I didn't realize you were leaving that soon." The saddened tone in his voice made Linor frown, but he took her answer nonetheless and gave her a forced smile. "Be safe on your trip, Major." When Falman turned to walk away, Linor quickly responded.

"On second thought, lunch sounds nice." Giving a cheeky grin to her friend as he looked back at her, Linor closed the door and approached him to clap a playful hand on his shoulder. "Thanks," She said, looking up at him. Stunned at her change in tone, it took a while for Falman's lips to curve into a smile. "You know, I haven't been meaning to avoid you guys," Linor added as they stalked the halls to the lunch room. "I guess I've been way too focused on my work." She hadn't really realized it until she actively thought back on it- the only time she really hung out with the group within the last week or so was when it was work related, and even that was briefly.

"Don't worry about it, we really just didn't want to bug you," Falman replied, "We know you've been busy, I- we just miss you is all." The recovery from his slip-up was so quick, Falman looked over to see if she had noticed and breathed a silent sigh of relief when she hadn't.

"Me being busy isn't a reason to be a shitty friend." Linor rebuked, taking another sip of her coffee. "I'm leaving pretty early tomorrow, but if you're up for it, I could take you for breakfast." Falman faltered in his step, almost tripping, and Linor snickered. "To make up for me being a total ass."

"Ah, you weren't!" He assured, "But.." Almost as if at a loss for words, he trailed off but forced his voice to come back. "I'd love to have breakfast with you." A grin crossed Linor's face as the duo turned down the lunchroom hall.

"Great!" She exclaimed excitedly, "I'm bribing you with food, so you can't be mad at me now." She joked, lightly tapping his shoulder blade several times before pushing open the cafeteria door.

"I could never," He mumbled quietly, the boisterous chattering from the cafeteria drowning him out as he followed right behind Linor.

#

Linor was glad she had taken Falman up on his offer. She had missed messing around with the boys- they were all goofs, but she forgot how much until they weren't on the clock. She was also happy they didn't seem to begrudge her for being distant and just welcomed her back briefly before pushing her into their antics as if she'd never left. It was reassuring, heartwarming, and it had put her in an excellent mood.

However, the mood immediately dissipated when she stopped in front of Archer's office door. Linor stood just outside of the door, completely still for a good few minutes, not really finding the courage to knock. She had promised herself that if he wasn't in his office, she would leave and just make sure to tell one of the boys to let him know she was called to Central for important business. However, she somehow knew he was there, she had a feeling as if his cold presence leaked out from under the door. Steeling her nerve, Linor took a deep breath and knocked louder than she had anticipated.

"Come in," The smooth voice called, Linor both cursing under her breath and mentally kicking herself in the shin as she entered. Archer was looking down, scribbling who-knew-what on some reports on his desk, but just seeing him felt like a blizzard from the North had washed over her. Finishing whatever he was writing, he gazed up at her, a smirk immediately finding itself on his face when they locked eyes. "Major Ziegler," He cooed, "What brings you to see me?" Linor had to hold her tongue to not say something she'd regret.

"I just wanted to inform you that I'll be leaving to Central tomorrow morning. I was called in for important business regarding the Scar case." She informed in her most professional voice. At her news, she could visibly see his smirk falter before he replaced it with an even more unnerving one.

"Is that so?" He muttered,

"Yes sir, Major General Hakuro has already been informed." She could hear him hum and she waited for her dismissal that never came.

"Well, I hope you have a safe trip," He said, though it seemed to lack in all sincerity. Muttering her thanks, Linor once again went silent, waiting, though he only stared at her. After a very uncomfortable staring contest that Linor backed out of quickly, Archer pushed up out of his chair and circled around to the front of his desk, leaning casually on the edge and propping himself on his arms. "How was your research?" He asked, getting Linor to raise a brow and open her mouth to question him.

"Oh, it was fine. I didn't really learn much, just that there are rarely any recorded cases of people successfully using an incomplete alchemy process." She recovered, her palms suddenly becoming clammy due to the look on his face. "I'm hoping collaborating with Lieutenant Colonel Hughes will warrant more information," Linor added to break the silence though another one just followed soon after. She tried to look somewhere, anywhere besides his cold eyes without making it too obvious, though it proved to be difficult. When his footsteps sounded on the rug, Linor had to face him, taking a step back as he advanced on her. Just a mere foot from her, Archer looked down to her paling face.

"Major," He cooed lowly, "Are you afraid of me?" The question in itself would have made her heart stop, but the tone he used made her want to flee completely.

"N-No, Lieutenant Colonel," She lied, "It's just, you're my commanding officer and I-" Her voice caught in her throat when he gripped her chin between his chilling fingers and tilted her covered eyes up to look at him.

"You shouldn't lie to your _commanding officer_," He chided, stressing the words she had used. She had opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out and Archer's lips curled into a wicked smirk. "I would never do anything to harm you, Major." He informed, his thumb grazing the side of her lips before he released her. "Thank you for informing me," The change in his tone and topic seemed to allow Linor to breathe again and her chest rose and fell heavier than she had wanted. "Give Lieutenant Colonel Hughes my best." Nodding at his request in a stunned daze, Linor quickly snapped out of it and cleared her throat.

"Yes, sir!" She blurted, quickly retreating when she finally earned a 'dismissed' from an amused Archer.


	7. Breakfast With Falman

OKAY SO, remember how I said this WASN'T Falman/OC? Well, since Scar isn't going to be the main interest for a while down the road, maybe... I could... give this poor cutie some love. I MEAN LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS OMG I CAN'T STAND IT. Also, I'm going to be changing the secondary genre. I was struggling on it and realized after a few chapters that 'Friendship' might be a good secondary one. Also, thank you SO, SO much to those of you that are reviewing and favoriting/following. I'm getting these chapters out so quickly because of you- you guys make me so happy! I'll probably start replying to your reviews in the beginning of chapters from now on, cause I don't want to spam your inboxes. Stay beautiful, people!

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_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

Slamming her hand on the alarm clock, Linor cracked her eyes open and stared tiredly at the ceiling, her vision taking a few seconds to adjust. The gunk in the corner of her eyes made it uncomfortable to open her lids any more than a slit and so she rubbed the crust away as much as she could. Fully looking at the alarm clock that read 4:25, Linor flung her arm over her eyes and groaned lowly. She had fully intended to get a decent night's sleep, but after her incident with Archer, she found even closing her eyes difficult. She always knew the man was interested in her in some way- an unnerving smile on his face whenever he saw her, always a bit too close for comfort, little quips that suggested he wanted more than just a superior/subordinate relationship; nothing outright, but obvious enough that even others aside from her had noticed. Yesterday was the first time he had done something so bold and she was worried her lack of backbone with him would make him bolder.

Trying to push the foreboding thought from her mind, she forced herself out of bed and into her small apartment bathroom. Many of the military personnel stuck to the free lodging at the barracks, but she chose to use her military funding to snag an apartment close to the Command Center. Her apartment was nothing be pleased about, but it was enough for the small periods of time she spent there- most of her time she spent at work anyway.

Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, Linor ran her hands through her tangled hair. After the night, her naturally wavy locks had begun to curl again and the dye she had in for nearly two weeks was starting to fade. Opening the medicine cabinet, she snagged the small bottle of hair dye before reaching into the cabinet under her sink to grab the large bowl she kept there. Placing the bowl on the transmutation circle she had scribbled on the small counter next to her sink, she lazily filled the bowl up with black dye and minuscule amounts of water. Dipping the ends of her hair in the mixture, a small clap of her hands re-dyed the fading black and peeking strands of white near her scalp. Examining the job in her mirror, Linor cracked a small smile- if Edward ever wanted to talk to her again, she needed to thank him; not that he knew she was going to be the one to use his method when he had mentioned it, but she had stolen the idea several years ago and refused to go back to her old method.

Stripping out of her baggy night clothes, Linor quickly hopped into the shower. She gave herself a quick wash- spending extra time on her face to get the disgusting touch of Archer off her skin- before hastily drying off, hopping out, and finishing the rest of her morning routine. By the time she finished her daily practice, her hair was straightened and pulled into a high ponytail and she was dressed in a casual black tank under a jean jacket with some blue jeans- so much comfier than her uniform. When her eyes drifted to the clock, it was 5:06 and she gasped, quickly double checking her suitcase before placing her trademark sunglasses on her face and rushing out the door.

The train she was supposed to board left at six, but before that, she had breakfast with Falman. The two agreed to meet at a quaint café near the station- neither of them too keen on big breakfasts and more inclined for something small and a cup of coffee. Seeing a uniformed Falman waiting for her at a circular table in the front, Linor smiled and approached him, sitting down in the seat across from him.

"Morning, Falman," Linor greeted, setting her briefcase down next to her.

"Good morning, Major," Vato replied, a smile on his thin face. Linor chuckled a bit and rested her arms on the table.

"You know you don't have to keep calling me that. I think we've passed the '_strictly coworkers_' phase by now." Seeming a bit nervous from the suggestion, Falman rubbed the side of his neck.

"I suppose you're right," He mumbled, noticing she hadn't even looked down at her menu under her arms. "Are you not getting anything?"

"I know what I want," She replied, "I come here often. You know what you're getting?" She asked when he didn't pick up his menu either. When he nodded, Linor gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, were you here long?"

"No, not at all." He reassured, "Just a few minutes." With a relieved 'good', Linor turned to greet the waitress who soon approached them with a beaming smile. After both ordering a cup of coffee and a bagel for Falman and an egg English muffin for Linor, the duo engaged in small chatter.

"So, how's the search for Scar going?" Linor asked, taking a bite from her egg sandwich. Putting his coffee cup down and downing what he had in his mouth, Falman groaned and ruffled his greying tufts.

"Mustang has been pushing us to find something, but there hasn't been so much as a whisper." He replied with disappointment. "We found his jacket on site the day of the explosion, but that's about it." Food stuffed in Linor's mouth, Falman continued. "Some are thinking he's dead, but we can't even find his body, it's strange." Swallowing, Linor took a sip of coffee.

"After taking down Brigadier General Grand, I doubt he would die so easily," Linor replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Our thoughts exactly," Vato replied with a sigh.

"Well, it's better than him killing anyone, I suppose we should count our blessings," Linor mumbled, tapping the side of her cup. The both of them went silent, Falman's slanted eyes locked onto her.

"I'm worried about you, Major," Falman said suddenly, making Linor stop her tapping. "After what happened, Scar is going to come after you whenever he gets the chance. Who knows what information he's getting, what if he knows you're on your way to Central?" Linor looked down to the table silently.

"What did I tell you about calling me Major, Falman?" She whispered jokingly, though her tone fell flat.

"I'm serious!" He barked, making Linor flinch slightly at the sudden raise of voice. "He knew who you were, how your alchemy works, doesn't that concern you?" Falman asked, an unusual bite to his tone. The truth was, Linor was concerned. After her skirmish with Scar, she was always looking over her shoulder whenever she walked home. She made sure to double check her doors and was always on high alert whenever she was alone. The fear subsided a bit after the first week of no news, but Falman was right- Scar was still out there somewhere and she shouldn't be letting her guard down.

"Of course, I am," Linor muttered, "But what am I supposed to do? Resign?" When Falman didn't answer, Linor scoffed. "I'm not going to quit, Falman."

"I know," He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just want you to be safe." Raising her gaze to look at him, she noticed he was staring down into his coffee. Reaching her hand to his to get his attention, she smiled earnestly.

"I appreciate your concern, Falman." When his worried look didn't fade, she instead gave him a cheeky grin and leaned over the table a bit. "If I want you to stop calling me Major, I should probably start calling you Vato, huh?" When his name passed her lips, she noticed his face heat up intensely and she couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, _Vato_, I'll be careful." She assured jokingly, stressing his name. Her promise seemed to appease him- despite its joking nature- and a small smile appeared on his flushed face.

"That's all I ask," He replied. When Linor gave him an expectant look, he chuckled softly under his breath and added- "Linor," Her lips tugged up and the duo finished their meal with less serious conversations. After the waitress had pleasantly took their trash and empty cups, Linor pulled her wallet to pay, but Falman held out a hand to stop her. "Let me," He said to which Linor narrowed her eyes.

"Nu-uh," She growled, "I said that _I _was taking you out for breakfast so you wouldn't be mad at me."

"I wasn't mad at you," He blurted when she continued to take out some cens.

"Oh well," She replied blandly, counting out the money for the bill and then some for the tip. When she placed it slightly under the condiments, so it didn't fly away, her eyes met with a disappointed Falman. "This isn't a date, you don't have to pay." If his disappointed look could have deepened, it would have.

"I-I know that, but…" He trailed off when the scraping of her chair sounded and she leaned over the table.

"So then when we go on a date, you can pay." The rest of his words caught in his throat and he wasn't sure if she was joking or if it was a hint for him to take. When he remained silent, she dropped her head with a pitiful laugh under her breath. "You're funny," She mumbled, retreating back from over the table and picking up her suitcase. "My train leaves soon, I really gotta go. Thanks for coming out with me, Vato." Breaking out of his trance and clumsily standing from his seat, he walked to her side of the table.

"A-any time," He stuttered, moving to grab her suitcase for her which she quickly moved from him. "Will you at least let me walk you to the station?" Linor almost chuckled at his chivalry but nodded nonetheless.

"Of course," She replied as they began their trip to the station, smiling when he moved to walk on side closest to the street. It took only a few minutes, but by the time they arrived, the station had a few earlier passengers and the train was already parked and awaiting its departure. "Thank you, Vato," Linor said as she faced him.

"Have a safe trip, Linor." He replied tenderly, looking down at her. Giving him a nod, she went to board her train.

"I'll be back in a few weeks!" She shouted over her shoulder, hopping on the coach and finding a seat. Tugging down the widow and waving at Falman who still waited there, she leaned her arm and head out. "Tell everyone I said bye!" Getting a loud response she didn't hear over the sudden wail of the whistle, Linor watched the Eastern Station disappear as the trail rolled away.


	8. The Hughes Family

Ok, so this chapter is making me DREAD a few down the road. I'm really enjoying writing this story so far though! I also went back and fixed a few things in earlier chapters- nothing too dramatic, so no need to go back and reread, but if you want, I fixed it up so it hopefully reads smoother.

EDIT: So I edited the flashback dream of Linor- I fixed her age; for some reason, I was thinking she was a child, but she was more in her teenage years when the alchemists were called into Ishval. Also, her real name (Linoja) is pronounced Lin-OH-yah.

* * *

_The sky was dark with smoke, debris and the smell of death filled the air. The once golden sand was stained red and littered with the bodies of many white-haired Ishvalans- children and elders alike, no one was safe from the slaughter. Young crimson eyes stared onto the city of Ishval, wide and shaking with fear; the once beloved homeland of her people now demolished and up in smoke. Legs shaking, dirtied hands covering her quivering lips as she stood paralyzed._

_"Linoja!" A deep voice barked over the sounds of screaming, explosions, and gunshots, snapping the teen out of her trance. "We need to go, now!" A small group of Ishvalans were able to flee the massacre and now hastily traveled as far away from the burning city as they could. A young monk and his elder brother led the pack, the former being the one to rush over to the adolescent and grip her wrist tightly. "There's no time!" He screamed, tugging her through the sand as she stumbled trying to get her trembling legs to work. Before they could reach the group again, the earth under the sand shook and burst in front of them, sending the screaming girl flying in the opposite direction of the monk and their kin. Spitting the sand out of her mouth, the young woman looked up to the alchemist that hovered over her. His long, black hair whipped violently in the wind and his gleaming blue eyes stared down at her viciously. As if her terror excited him, a devious smirk crawled onto his face._

_"Please, stop!" A scratchy voice called, an old man rushing in front of her. "Why are you doing this?" He asked desperately, shielding the man's terrifying gaze from her. "You've driven us from our homeland, isn't that enough?" He shouted, the Amestrian's hand quickly gripping the Ishvalan's wrist tightly._

_"Don't blabber to me, old man. I'm just following orders." He muttered calmly, a bright light emanating from the alchemist's palm before he let go. The woman shuffled backward as the elder stumbled, soon exploding on the spot and sending blood and guts onto the teen and sand below. Breathless, the girl shook uncontrollably, watching the soldier turn his eyes onto her again._

_"Linoja, run!" The monk screamed, rushing over to her. With heaving breaths, the youth scrambled to her feet and clumsily stumbled across the sand. Her kin screaming and scattering, the young Ishvalan ran as far as her weak legs would take her. Behind her, she could hear the agonizing screams of the Ishvalan monk and she tried covering her ears as she ran, tears finally running down her dirty, blood-covered face._

The screams morphed into the loud blaring of the train whistle and Linor's eyes shot open. Her breathing was labored and a thin layer of sweat formed on her face and palms. Looking up at the ceiling of the train car, she realized her glasses had worked their way down her nose and she quickly pushed them up. Hearing the train whistle again, she hastily wobbled up and with luggage in hand, departed the train. The Central station was packed- many people conversing with their loved ones as they arrived or prepared to board, several food stalls along the side for travelers, and others filling the station benches as they waited for their own train to arrive. A bit overwhelmed, relief washed over Linor as a familiar voice called out to her.

"Major Ziegler!" Seeing a casually dressed Hughes waving to her across the crowd, she smiled and approached him. "Welcome to Central! How was your trip?" He asked boisterously.

"I slept most of the way," Linor answered honesty, feeling Hughes' hand on her shoulder and pushing her forward with him. "It's busy here," She remarked as they left the station, seeing outside was just as crowded.

"Oh yes, but Central is a nice place once you get used to it." Leading her to the car parked along the side of the road, Hughes swiftly grabbed her suitcase from her and put it in the back seat. Ushering her around the vehicle, he opened the passenger door for her to get in which she obliged with thanks. When he appeared back on the other side and slid into the driver's seat, the long, conversation-filled drive began.

"The Elric brothers are actually here," Hughes mentioned halfway through the trip, after a few topics such as; 'How's everything in Eastern Command?' and 'Has Roy gotten himself a wife yet?'.

"Oh, really?" Linor quipped surprised. "Those boys are always on the move…" She mumbled, wondering if Edward would even acknowledge her if he saw her. Hughes flicked his gaze to her for a moment when she went silent before returning to the road.

"I'm sure he won't hold it against you." Hughes suddenly said, getting Linor to look at him. "Sure, he's stubborn, but he'll forgive you. He and his brother have their own secrets, I'm sure he understands. It just came as a shock to him." Linor sighed and returned her gaze to the window.

"I hope so," She murmured, the car becoming uncomfortably silent. Deciding to give the relentless talking a rest, Hughes kept quiet until they reached his household. When they pulled to a stop in front of the house, Hughes _heavily _insisted on carrying her bag inside. As they walked through the door, the man set the suitcase down and held out his arms.

"Daddy's home!" He boomed, immediately getting a response from a giggling and excited girl dashing out of one of the rooms to jump into his embrace. "Elicia! My darling little girl," He cooed, rubbing his face on hers, only serving to intensify her laughs as she wailed from his beard scratching on her soft skin. As Elicia struggled to get her father's bearded chin away from her, a woman who Linor could only assume was his wife came from the kitchen and approached her with a warm smile.

"Hello, you must be Major Ziegler," Her soft voice greeted, "I'm Gracia, it's so nice to meet you." Linor smiled kindly as she shook the hand Gracia held out for her.

"Nice to meet you too, thank you so much for allowing me to stay here."

"Of course! Any friend of my husbands is a friend of mine." Linor paused for a moment when she mentioned 'friend' and looked over to the bubbly man next to her. A breathy laugh left her lips- did he really consider her a friend? "Maes mentioned you'll be staying here to help him with the ruined case files," Gracia added, earning back Linor's attention. "Thank you for helping him, he's been terribly busy lately."

"It's no problem," Linor assured, her face turning a bit red from how kindly the woman was. "Anything to help Lieutenant Colonel Hughes." Getting a grateful smile from Gracia, the mother's eyes widened and she sheepishly rubbed the side of her face.

"Oh, look at me babbling," She mumbled, a bit embarrassed. "You've had a long trip, let's get you settled in. Dinner is almost ready. Maes, honey," Gracia called, the enamored man finally looking up from his daughter. "Could you please show Miss Ziegler to her room?" Releasing his child, Hughes bounded up to his wife.

"Of course, my honey bunches!" He cooed, placing a sickeningly sweet peck on her cheek and going over to pick up Linor's luggage again. "We have a guest bedroom prepared for you," Hughes informed Linor as she followed him. Pushing open the door to her temporary room, the man flicked on the light and flourished his hand out. "Tah-Dah!" The room was the epitome of 'homey'- decorated with nice, calm colors of beige, brown, and some blue, Linor couldn't help but smile. "I hope it's comfy enough for you, Major," Hughes said, placing her suitcase by the door.

"It's perfect, thank you, Lieutenant Colonel." Linor breathed, giving him a genuine smile.

"Call me Hughes," He insisted, mimicking her expression. "We're going to be spending a lot of time together and Lieutenant Colonel is too long." He joked with a wave of his hand. "Now hurry and get your stuff unpacked, Gracia is making dinner and she is the best cook!" Hughes gushed, leaving Linor to unload when she gave him a laugh of acknowledgment. Taking her luggage over to the neatly made bed, the smile that graced Linor's face refused to go away. At first, she was hesitant on coming- her last visit to Central was when she took her exam, and that left a bad taste in her mouth. However, the more she thought on it, the more she realized it might not be that bad; the Hughes family was almost unbelievably kind, she got to get a change of scenery and pace from her workaholic life in the East, and even better- nearly two weeks without Lieutenant Colonel Archer. After mindlessly having put all her casual clothes in the dresser, her uniform hung up neatly in the small closet, and the files for Hughes placed precariously on the nightstand, she plopped down on the springy bed. The housing in Amestris was nothing like hers in Ishval, but the way everything was set up- the wallpaper and carpeting used, the smell of fresh wood- it all made the atmosphere very calming and comfortable in a way.

"Major," Linor heard Gracia call politely, "Dinner's ready!" Hearing her motherly tone made Linor's heart skip a beat and her chest clench slightly. How long had it been since she was addressed in such a tone? Shaking the ill thoughts from her head, Linor pushed herself off the bed and left the room to go join her host family in the kitchen for what she was sure was going to be a lovely meal.


	9. Acceptance

I literally love the Hughes so much, I cri evry tiem.

* * *

When Linor entered the hall to the kitchen, the savory smell of food filled her nostrils and she could immediately feel her mouth water. Stepping into the kitchen, Gracia was placing several dishes out onto the dull, yellow tablecloth. Hughes sat in the seat closest to the hall with an empty chair next to him and Elicia was across the table from him, an empty seat next to her. When Gracia saw Linor standing in the hall entrance, the woman gestured to the table.

"Please, Major, have a seat anywhere." Leaving the seat next to her husband for her, Linor took the empty chair next to a young child who was giggling and playing footsies with her father under the table. Gracia set a quiche in the center of the table before putting a glass plate in front of Linor with a smile, following her was Elicia, Hughes, and the empty seat next to him. "Ok you two," She cooed, "Time for dinner."

"Yes, ma'am!" The goofy duo said in unison, sitting up straight in their seat and picking up their utensils.

"Go ahead and dig in, Major." Gracia insisted, helping Elicia get her portion.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hughes." Linor said politely, reaching for some of the quiche. When Linor went to snag some focaccia also, Gracia finally took her seat and began filling her plate as well.

"So, Major," Gracia began once everyone began eating. "How long have you been working with my husband?" The clacking of forks filled the brief silence as Linor scarfed her quiche down as civilly as she could.

"Well, Lieutenant Colonel and I-"

"Hughes," The man interrupted, making Linor flush.

"Mr. Hughes," She semi-corrected, figuring he was at least fine with that since he remained silent. "We've been working together for a few months now, but more so over the phone than in person."

"And you're a friend of Roy's as well?" Linor had to think about it for a moment, but Hughes piped in for her.

"Oh of course! Roy and her go way back," He exaggerated, "He was the one who recommended her into the military." Hughes explained, Linor embarrassedly and quietly insisting he was exaggerating, though her meek reply seemed to go unheard. "Maybe Linor here might be the one he settles down with." He joked, making Linor choke when she tried to protest with her mouth full. Gracia simply laughed lightly and Linor hastily tried to regain her composure.

"No, no," She hastily said, "Colonel Mustang and I don't have that kind of relationship."

"No need to be shy," Hughes poked, waving his fork with quiche on it and grinning at Linor's beat red face.

"Maes, dear," Gracia said semi-seriously, "Don't embarrass her." Listening to his wife, Hughes shoved the food in his smiling mouth.

"But I do owe him a lot," Linor replied, poking at her food. "I definitely wouldn't be here without him."

"Roy is a kind man, despite how much he and others deny it." Gracia praised, Linor humming in agreeance. The once silent child then leaned over towards Linor and looked intently at her plate.

"You don't have your greens," Elicia slurred with a pout, looking at a wide-eyed Linor. "You can't grow without your greens." She informed, her small finger pointing to the roasted asparagus.

"Wha- well, I…"

"Elicia is right, Miss Ziegler," Gracia pipped with a loving smile. "Growing boys and girls need their vegetables." Linor moved to open her mouth to explain she wasn't really a growing girl anymore, but the serious look on Elicia's expectant face made the words stop short. Pursing her lips into a helpless pout, Linor hesitantly plucked some stalks of asparagus and put them on her plate, sticking one and biting it in half. A very pleased smile graced Elicia's cute face.

"There you go! Greens are very good for you, that's what mommy says!" Despite not really being fond of most vegetables, Linor forced herself to eat the few stalks she put on her plate. "Here, have some more!" Elicia squealed, picking some asparagus off her own plate and putting it on Linor's.

"N-No, uh, that's alright, I'm getting pretty full."

"Elicia, darling, those are for you." Gracia piped in, making her daughter stop in her tracks. "How are you going to grow big and strong if you don't have any?" A look of realization crossed the child's face and she began picking her food back.

"You're right! Sorry, Musigler, these are mine." Confused for a moment, Linor laughed at her attempt to say 'Miss Ziegler'.

"That's alright, but you can call me Linor." Elicia looked at her a bit confused at the name, but Linor leaned in and whispered. "It's what my friends call me." Very pleased at making a new friend, Elicia nodded vigorously.

"Then you can call me Elicia!" The child beamed, shoving a big bite of asparagus in her mouth. Linor gave the child a nod of acknowledgment before the family began finishing their meal. Simple conversations followed, mostly about Linor, though thankfully nothing too personal- the Hughes family was very polite and kind. After Linor helped Gracia clear the table and wash dishes, Elicia playfully tugged on the alchemist's hand.

"Linor," The child whined, "Come play with me!" Gracia nodded to dismiss Linor from her clean up duties and the child tugged the woman into the family room where Hughes was sitting. "Let's play dolls!" Elicia suggested, or more so commanded, though Linor agreed nonetheless and sat crisscrossed on the floor across from her. Linor soon found that while Elicia was very sweet and cute, she was a bit bossy, at least when it came to playing dolls. Gracia soon joined the three in the living room, sitting on the couch next to Maes and small conversation left over from dinner resumed.

"Well, lately I've been helping Colonel Mustang more than focusing on my own career goals," Linor admitted when Gracia asked her what her plans for the future were. "I guess I feel like I have a debt to him." She blurted before thinking, surprised that she had said something so personal.

"I'm sure Roy would want you to pursue your own goals as well, Major." Gracia replied, leaning into her husband's chest. Linor looked down at the doll she was holding, but remained silent- aside from gaining status, she hadn't really thought about what she wanted to do with it; yes, she had a point to prove, and perhaps change the living conditions of her people when she could, but aside from that the thought hadn't crossed her mind.

"Linor," Elicia called when the woman had stopped playing.

"Oh, sorry, Elicia," The alchemist apologized, moving the doll around again. After a small silence, Elicia curiously looked up to Linor.

"Why are you always wearing those?" Elicia suddenly asked, pointing to the sunglasses on Linor's face. Hughes and Gracia were silent and Linor opened her mouth in alarm, fumbling on what she wanted to say. "Do they help you see like daddy?"

"Er, no," Linor muttered, fidgeting with the doll.

"You should take them off then." Uncomfortably shifting her stance, Linor looked over to Hughes who just gave her a shrug and a nod- assuring her that it was fine, only if she wanted to. Hesitating for a moment, Linor closed her eyes slowly and reached up to slide the glasses off her face. Fluttering her lids open to look at Elicia, she awaited the inevitable gasp but was greeted with a small giggle instead. "Your eyes are pretty," The child beamed, shocking Linor into silence. "Do you see them, mommy? Aren't they pretty?" She bellowed, Linor looking up to a gently smiling Gracia.

"Yes, darling, they're beautiful." Gracia replied earnestly, Hughes reclining silently with his own smile. Linor froze, a strange feeling constricting at her chest as the corners of her lips tugged forcefully up. Hearing Elicia call her once more, Linor gently resumed her activity, her hazy mind trying to think of a time when anyone who saw her eyes for the first time was so accepting. She couldn't think of a time anyone hadn't at least been somewhat shocked, let alone called her eyes pretty. Even if Hughes had warned his wife of who she was, she doubted he would have had Elicia choreograph her reaction- her compliment was genuine, her acceptance was real, and it was from a young, naïve child. It left Linor feeling the best she had in a while.


	10. Catching a Break

Well, chapter 10 and it's pretty short, sorry! Chapters from here on out will be their usual length, but I felt this chapter was a bit necessary even if a bit boring since Sheska is pretty important. Also, most of this is from a 3rd person POV of Linor, but some chapters later down the line will have 3rd person POV of other people, so look forward to that! I will announce it at the beginning of the chapter and it will be coming soon, so just a heads up!

_**mothedman**_: Yes I started tearing up too! Just wait though...

* * *

The last couple days, Hughes and Linor worked diligently on replicating the Scar files that Eastern Command had copies of. One would think such an elusive and mysterious man wouldn't have such a large file, but along with his case was all the information on the crime scenes, autopsies, and victim files as well. Currently, the duo had just finished replicating all of Scar's personal information and killings and was moving onto the crime scene data. The two were in Hughes' office, surrounded by scattered papers that had nothing to do with what they were working on, and Linor curiously picked up one of the sheets and read it over.

"Hughes," The woman called, finally dropping all formalities after several dozen corrections in the last 48 hours. "What are all these documents for?" She asked once she heard his pen stop scribbling.

"I'm trying to get some sort of progress done on the other files that were lost." He replied with a sigh, finally setting his pen down and rolling back in his chair dramatically. Taking off his glasses and resting an arm over his eyes, he lolled his head back. "Sometimes I think it's more trouble than it's worth- we have bits and pieces here in Command but completing an entire case file is seeming damn near impossible." Now holding several papers that were all from separate files, Linor looked up to Hughes.

"I could try to help," She offered, "We should be able to get Scar's case done in…" Counting her free days on her finger, Linor mumbled quietly under her breath. "Two days for the crime scenes, two for the autopsies, and two for the victim files…" Having a few extra fingers up, Linor rubbed her neck. "I have a few extra days if we can bang this out." Hughes gave his helper a grateful yet stressed smile.

"I appreciate it, Linor, but we're missing so much information, I doubt we'd be able to get anything important done." Shooting a sympathetic look toward the man, Linor noticed how exhausted he looked. Placing the folder on top of a mess of scattered sheets, Linor stood from the couch she was settled on and stretched.

"Why don't we take a break," She suggested, "We've been at it all morning and it's time for lunch." The woman pointed to the clock on Hughes' office wall and he looked up at it, putting on his glasses.

"Well look at that," He mumbled, obviously not realizing how long the duo had been working. "I suppose we should get some lunch." He agreed, pushing out of his chair and mimicking Linor's stretch. "Let's go out," He suggested, Linor agreeing and all too willing to get out of Central Command as the duo had been cooped up in the building for a good part of the last two days. Leaving the messy office, they headed down the hall and noticed two soldiers standing guard outside of the Command Library. "Second Lieutenant Ross, Sergeant Brosh, what are you two doing here?" Maes asked curiously. Immediately after hearing his voice, the two snapped into a salute.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!" Ross greeted formally, "We are currently under the jurisdiction of guarding the Fullmetal Alchemist, sir." Suddenly very excited, Hughes boasted a big grin while Linor donned the opposite.

"So, the Elric brothers are in there?" He asked boisterously, though before either soldier could reply, Hughes burst through the door, dragging a protesting Linor along with him. Eyes already on the visitors, Linor ripped her grip away from her captor as he energetically approached the Elrics. "Yo!" Hughes greeted loudly, slamming his hands on the table the boys sat at. "What gives, Ed? I told you to give me a shout the next time you made it to Central." He joked. Linor remembered Hughes telling her the Elrics were in Central, but she was surprised to hear they hadn't once visited Hughes since they arrived.

"Oh, er, something urgent came up. Sorry," Ed stuttered, a gloved hand scratching the back of his head.

"It's just as well, I've been busy too," Hughes replied, stepping to the side and finally bringing attention to Linor.

"Major Ziegler!" Alphonse addressed, sounding a bit shocked and excited at the same time.

"Hello, Alphonse," Linor greeted sheepishly, "It's been a while, you're looking much better." She remarked, the metal suit nodding.

"Yes, brother did a great job putting me back together, I feel as good as new." The younger sibling praised, Linor muttering a 'that's good to hear' before her shaded eyes then wandered to the silent Ed. The child stared up at the woman, his gaze not so much angry as disappointed.

"Hello, Ed," Linor mumbled, the boy simply grunting in return. Before the silence got too uncomfortable, Hughes tried to lighten the mood.

"It looks like you boys have been busy," He pointed out, seeing all the books that were strewn across the library table. "We've had a lot of cases to deal with ourselves." Pulling out the chair across from Ed, Hughes sat down. "All our case records were stored in the stacks at the Central Library. Trying to work without them hasn't been a picnic, let me tell ya. We've been trying our best to recreate the documents we lost, but Eastern Command only has so much information." As if realizing something, the Elrics went silent and shifted their gaze to the quiet bystander next to Alphonse. When the geeky-looking woman realized what the boys were thinking, she let out a wail loud enough to scare Linor.

"Hey Lieutenant Colonel, I think I got exactly the person you guys are looking for." Ed boasted with a grin.

"Well I have read the military's criminal case records and I do remember them all." The stranger drawled, Linor shocked at how casual the woman sounded and mumbling amazed praises under her breath.

"That's all I needed to hear, Lady. You're hired!" Hughes shouted, "My office pays well, so don't worry!" Looking as if she were about to cry, the young woman clenched her fists excitedly.

"Oh uh, you're saying you want me-? Oh, thank you so much!" She sputtered, giving the Elrics a grateful smile. "I'll have faith just like you told me to! Thank you, thank you!" The woman wailed as Hughes gripped her by the back of the collar and began dragging her out of the library.

"C'mon now, right to work!" Hughes cooed, making Linor's jaw drop.

"Wai- Lieutenant Colonel Hughes! What about lunch!" Linor shouted.

"Did someone call me? Huh? Did you hear that?" He shouted back, Linor dropping her head with a sigh as he marched down the hall back to his office. Turning to give the boys one last wave, Linor gave the Elrics a coy smile.

"It was nice seeing you again, Alphonse… Edward," She said, softly adding the latter's name as his eyes seemed to bore into hers past the shades. After getting a goodbye from Alphonse, Linor turned to leave and heard a faint;

"It was nice seeing you too, Major." From Edward. A relieved smile graced the woman's face which she turned to show Ed before running to catch up with Hughes.


	11. Birthday Girl

Wow, it's been a long time, I'm so sorry! Work and school have got me super busy, but I'm back! Thank you so much for all the likes, reviews, and favorites! It means so, SO much to me! I hope all future chapters don't disappoint!

Canned Island: Wow thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear that you and others like Linor, I worked crazy hard on her backstory and alchemy haha. While I always understood why the Ishvalans hate Amestris, I was surprised that none really tried to put their spite aside and work to better their people's conditions. Easier said than done, I know, but Linor is gonna be that one to work her butt off to get there! I did have an idea in mind about the non-con and as of right now it's more than a few chapters down the line, but I will def put a warning in the start of the chapter. To be honest, my ideas might change, so it's not even set in stone, but please, feel free to read normally for now as any 'iffy' chapters will be marked with warnings!

* * *

When Hughes said he had a _few _errands to run, neither Sheska or Linor knew he would be out of the office for most of the day. It was Elicia's birthday and both women agreed he could leave them in charge of the workload for a while so he could go out to get some party decorations and a gift for his precious daughter. The man had left the office around nine am and the clock had just hit four. Linor's hand was beginning to cramp from all the writing, but it was nothing compared to poor Sheska's large pile of completed work.

"When is the Lieutenant Colonel coming back…" Sheska groaned, her face planted on the paper-filled desk.

"I couldn't tell you…" Linor groaned right back, flexing her fingers that cracked upon any form of movement. "I thought he'd be back by now." When the door to the office opened, both girls looked up excitedly but groaned in unison upon seeing the receptionist.

"Uhm, you have a phone call, Major Ziegler." She informed, her eyes wide with confusion at their reaction. Beyond not caring anymore, Linor rose from her seat and let the papers in her lap flutter to the floor.

"Ok thank you," She muttered, stepping over the documents on her way out. "Is it the Lieutenant Colonel by chance?" Linor asked, knowing- or rather hoping by this time- she would be expecting a call from Hughes soon.

"Yes, ma'am." The woman confirmed, allowing the alchemist to pass. When Linor picked up the phone, she let her lips purse into a pout.

"Hughes, if you aren't back here in five minutes I-"

_"Quite friendly with the Lieutenant Colonel already, I see."_ A suave voice interrupted, chilling Linor to the bone immediately.

"O-oh, Lieutenant Colonel Archer," Linor stuttered, "I-I'm so sorry, I thought…"

_"It's quite alright, I'm willing to overlook it for you, Major." _Linor had been away from Eastern Command for a week already and Frank Archer hadn't crossed her mind- almost as if she had forgotten about him- but hearing his voice brought back all her fear and anxiety in a wave, making her stomach drop and churn. _"General Hakuro has requested a check-up. Has everything been going smoothly in Central?" _Archer asked, Linor standing sharply at attention as if he would somehow know if she wasn't.

"Yes, sir," Linor replied, "We're about halfway done with replicating the case files. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes has even found someone to help with the other cases lost in the fire."

_"Good, so then you'll be returning to Eastern Command soon?" _He inquired, Linor pausing to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Yes, sir," She tried saying strongly, though her voice came out laced with distress. Archer went silent on the other side of the line and Linor could almost feel him smirking into the receiver. "I should be coming back before the 1st."

_"Try not to delay," _Archer replied kindly, though the underlying tone sounding anything but. _"No one in Eastern Command can replace you." _Linor tried to force herself to think he was referring strictly to work, but she knew otherwise. Opening her mouth to try and reply, she heard a slight chuckle from the other end. _"Good luck on the rest of your work, Major. I'll be seeing you soon." _Archer cooed before she heard a click from the other end and the line went dead. Linor was able to swallow the lump in her throat and shakily place the phone back on the receiver. With a sigh, the woman rested her forearm on the wall and buried her face.

"Major?" Linor quickly looked over to the woman sitting at the Command's reception desk, the other officer giving Linor a concerned look. "Is everything alright?" Pushing off the wall, Linor gave her a forced smile.

"Yes, everything is fine." She assured, "I should be going, have a nice day." Earning a friendly reply back, Linor sluggishly made her way back to Hughes' office. When she returned, Sheska was nowhere to be seen and Hughes had taken her place at his desk. "Lieutenant Colonel," Linor blurted in surprise, though she received no response. "Where have you been?" Still no response. "Lieuten-" With a sigh, she stopped herself. "Hughes," She corrected, Hughes looking up in shock as if he had no idea she was there.

"Oh, Linor! Just the woman I was looking for!"

"Where have you been?" She repeated a bit more firmly, some agitation laced in her tone. "You said you had a _few _errands to run!" Not at all perturbed with her irritation, Hughes stood from his desk and walked over to her, ushering her out of his office and closing the door behind him.

"It's a big day!" He said almost slightly offended. "My little baby girl deserves only the best! Lucky for you that means we get to leave early!" Linor cocked a brow at this as he lightly pushed on her back to keep her moving at his pace.

"Lucky? You had Sheska and I doing all your work all day."

"Oh yes, Sheska," Hughes blurted, "Don't worry about her, she looked a little tired, so I gave her the rest of the day off as well!" He said, completely ignoring the rest of what Linor had said. "Now hurry up, we have to get home! Wouldn't want to be late for Elicia's party!" Hughes shouted excitedly, picking up his pace and almost making Linor stumble.

#

"Happy Birthday, Elicia!" The small group shouted, earning a joyful giggle from the young girl. Linor sat a bit awkwardly in the corner near the table, the poor block of wood barely able to fit even half of the party's guests. Most of the visitors were friends of Hughes and Gracia, a small handful some of Elicia's friends as well. The table was filled to the brim with a variety of party foods- the cooked ones courtesy of Gracia- and the large strawberry cake was the current center of attention along with the birthday girl herself. As Elicia leaned over the table to blow out her candles, the room clapped excitedly before bursting into idle chatter, Gracia and Hughes taking it amongst themselves to cut and distribute the cake.

Linor watched the exchanges silently, pleased that while everyone seemed friendly enough, they were too busy catching up with one another to bother with her; she was always too nervous to engage in conversation with new people, especially when she cared about what the Hughes' guests thought of her- she'd rather be 'that awkward girl in the corner' over 'that dirty Ishvalan girl'. When a pair of dark blue jeans stopped in front of her, Linor looked up to a smiling Hughes, a small plate of cake in his hand.

"I got you a strawberry," Hughes said gently, handing her a small piece with a bright strawberry on top. Giving the man a genuine smile, Linor took the plate with a thank you. "Not much of a mingler?" Hughes asked, grabbing his chair from the table and dragging it over to sit next to her. Linor poked at the strawberry for a moment before taking a small bite of the cake instead, looking to save the best part for last.

"Not particularly," The younger woman replied, glancing up to the many guests. "I get nervous about what they'd say." While she didn't specify what, Hughes knew what she meant.

"You shouldn't let that dictate your life." the man replied quietly, leaning in closer so she could hear over the noise.

"Easier said than done," Was Linor's mumbled reply.

"Not everyone thinks poorly of Ishvalans," Hughes informed, watching her fork poke at the now semi-destroyed cake. "I didn't tell her," He said suddenly, Linor looking up with confusion. "Gracia. I didn't tell her you were Ishvalan." Linor opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Hughes let out a light chuckle and looked up to his wife who was currently tending to Elicia and the other children, making sure they didn't make a mess. "She's a better person than me, it seems." He mumbled, referring to his less than pleasant reaction to Linor when he first found out.

"I don't blame you," Linor responded quietly. "You were in the war-"

"I'd hardly consider that an excuse," Hughes interrupted, a brief silence passing between them. "I'm sorry," No longer able to make eye contact, Linor looked down at her suddenly very interesting cake.

"You don't need to apologize." She whispered just barely loud enough for Hughes to hear.

#

The party lasted for only a few hours and the last guest to leave was a young girl named Winry who Linor learned was a childhood friend of Edward and Alphonse. Hughes had insisted that Linor at least talk to Winry if no one else, and the alchemist was pleasantly surprised at how easy she was to converse with- to be fair, their conversations consisted mostly of the trouble Eric brothers got into both in and out of Resembool. When Winry said her goodbyes to everyone and left- having to insist yet again to Hughes she'd rather find a hotel instead of burdening them with another guest- Elicia let out an exhausted yawn.

"It was a big day for my big girl," Gracia cooed lovingly, picking up her child and cradling her to her chest. "It's past your bedtime. Say goodnight," She murmured gently, allowing Elicia to mumble some sleepy good nights to Linor and Hughes. "Daddy will be in soon to tuck you in," Gracia explained, carrying the child out of the living room, leaving Linor sitting on the lazyboy and Hughes on the family couch. Linor watched the two leave, a small look of forlorn on her face- when was the last time she saw her own mother? Were her parents even still alive?

"Linor," Hughes' voice snapped her out of her thoughts, "Is something wrong?" Reaching up to take off her glasses, Linor rubbed her eyelids.

"No, not at all, just tired." She semi-lied. Hughes gave her a grunt of acknowledgment, not pushing her on the subject even if he knew she wasn't quite truthful. "I think I should be getting to bed as well. We only have a few more days to finish the files and tomorrow is another long one." Linor grumbled, rising to clock out for the night.

"One moment, I have something for you," Hughes said, stopping a curious Linor in her tracks. As the man went into the kitchen, Gracia came back and smiled warmly upon seeing Hughes digging in the small supply closet. He turned around with a neatly-wrapped box, Linor quirking a confused brow as he came to stand alongside his wife. "Happy Birthday, Linor." Hughes said with a smile.

"Wha? But it's not my…"

"Did you forget?" Hughes poked with a chuckle. "It's the 1st, but you'll have gone back to Eastern Command by then. Gracia and I both wanted to give it to you." The shock at his words made her deftly take the box handed to her. He was right, of course, she had forgotten and she was at a loss for words.

"But… wha… how did you…?" Linor fumbled, this time getting Gracia to let out a breathy laugh.

"Wouldn't be a very good head of the ID if I couldn't manage this." Hughes joked, referring to his job as the lead of the State's Investigation Department. "Well, go ahead, open it. We're dying to see what you think." He urged when Linor just stared down at the box. Folding her glasses over the collar of her shirt, Linor began gently tearing at the wrapping, bundling it up and handing it to Hughes when he reached out to take it. When she was able to lift the lid, her breath caught in her throat.

"We hope you like it, dear." Gracia cooed as Linor reached into the box to unfold the dark orange scarf. "We weren't quite sure what to get you, but Maes thought that maybe something of your homeland might be nice, so we had this specially made." Words failed Linor as she gently brushed her thumb over the Ishvalan fabric. The burnt orange and black embroidery resembled the Ishvalan sash that many of her people wore- traditionally worn around the waist as a child and slung over the shoulder when one came of age. Gripping the scarf firmly, Linor couldn't help but wrap her arms around both Gracia and Hughes in a tight hug.

"Thank you," Linor was able to choke out, burying her face in Hughes' shoulder. She could feel both of them lightly return her embrace. Clenching the scarf tighter and pushing her face deeper into Hughes' shoulder, Linor willed herself to keep the stinging tears from falling but the comforting rubs on her back put her efforts in vain.


	12. Wake Up Call

I think I might make it a habit to post a new chapter every Friday- that way instead of posting three of four new chapters in a week, or one or none, I have backups to post if I get writer's block one week. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! A bit of a wake-up call for Linor here. Next chapter will have a bit of Archer's POV. Chapter 13 will be the start of when shit begins to go down.

* * *

The blaring of the train whistle rang in Linor's ears, almost as if to remind her that it would leave her behind if she didn't board soon. Orange scarf wrapped loosely around her neck and standing out against the black jacket and blue jeans she wore, Linor ignored the warning. Not feeling rushed as she should have, she gave a tender smile to the small Hughes family that was there to see her off.

"It was a pleasure to have you, Linor," Gracia said, holding a sad looking Elicia in her arms.

"It was a pleasure to stay with you," Linor replied honestly, "Thank you so much for opening your home to me, Mrs. Hughes."

"You are always welcome in our home." She added with a warm smile. "Be sure to come back and visit, I'm sure Elicia would love to have you stay again. Isn't that right, Elicia?" As if breaking the dam that Elicia was holding in, the child began to sniffle.

"Come back soon!" She wailed, reaching her arms out to the alchemist. Gracia placed the child down and Linor knelt to hug the small girl that rushed into her embrace.

"I will, I promise," Linor vowed before she could stop herself. Immediately feeling a bit guilty at the large promise, she pulled back slowly and ruffled the child's hair gently. "Be good until then, okay?" Elicia nodded her head with a sniff before Gracia came to pick her up once again.

"I appreciate all the help," Hughes said, "Couldn't have gotten it done without your help." Linor quirked her lips into a half smile.

"I don't know, Sheska probably could have gotten it done faster." Moving to place a hand on her shoulder, Hughes returned the expression.

"She's much too busy with the other case files." Linor held back a laugh at the poor girl's misfortune. "Are you sure you have to leave so soon?" Hughes asked. Thinking on it, Linor sighed.

"Eastern Command needs me back," Linor replied, "Lieutenant Colonel Archer is requesting my return as soon as possible." Though obviously displeased with her answer, Hughes nodded. Linor had half a mind to stay the rest of the days she had planned- originally booking the trip for a little over two weeks, but leaving only ten days in- but the looming thought of Archer's phone call had her on edge and she really didn't want to get on his bad side. Hearing the train whistle wail twice more for its last call, Linor hoisted her suitcase up. "Thank you, Hughes… for everything." The man stepped back to place a gentle hand on Gracia's shoulder and gave Linor a smile.

"Like my wife said, Linor, you're always welcome back. Our home is your home too."

"I'll keep that in mind next vacation day," Linor half-joked with a cheeky grin. Quickly hustling into the train, she was barely able to take her seat before the vehicle jerked to a slow crawl. Sliding up her window, Linor poked her head out to wave goodbye as the train rolled away.

#

Much less tired than on her trip to Central, Linor was able to stay awake on her return back. When the train arrived in East City, it was just after noon and Linor immediately made her way to Eastern Command. Upon entering the building, she was greeted with a polite welcome back from the front desk officers- though she knew it was just for the formality, it gave her a small smile, nonetheless. With baggage still in hand, Linor's first stop was Roy's office. Walking into the holding room, Linor wasn't surprised to see Roy's posse all together.

"Linor!" Fuery called, surprised. "Welcome back!" Giving a kind smile to him, Linor muttered a genuine thank you.

"Falman missed you," Breda blurted, the warrant officer quickly clasping a hand over his friend's mouth.

"How was your trip, Major?" Riza asked, adding to Linor's flurry of attention and taking the focus off the two men and the topic.

"It was good, Lieutenant, thank you. Hughes and his family were very welcoming." Getting several shocked looks in return, Linor quickly corrected herself, "Lieutenant Colonel!" But the damage was already done, and Havoc gave a long, playful whistle.

"Linor making friends in Central already," He joked, "Ready for that promotion she's hoping King Furher will give her for helping redevelop those case files." Linor shot Havoc a sneer.

"The Lieutenant Colonel can be very tenacious," She explained, "What are you doing here anyway? Did the Colonel call you in here to dish out more work?" A small hush passed between Roy's subordinates and they eyed each other for a moment.

"He called us in here to brief us on our transfer to Central." Riza finally said, Linor's brows furrowing.

"Transfer?" The younger woman questioned in surprise.

"Furher Bradly specifically requested the Colonel," Breda explained, a frown now plastered on Linor's face.

"I'm sure he'd want to see you first," Riza piped in again when Linor didn't reply. Silently nodding, Linor gently closed the door behind her when she got permission to enter Roy's main office. Seeing the Colonel scribbling something on some papers- probably the transfer forms- Linor placed her suitcase down and waited by the door for him to look up.

"Major," Roy started when he did, "Welcome back, how was your trip?"

"Fine, Colonel," Linor replied faintly, "All the case files have been successfully replicated. I came to apologize for taking Scar's file so suddenly."

"No need, I looked them over beforehand." Silence. "Is there something else you wanted to talk about?" He added plainly, Linor knowing he realized what was on her mind and a bit irritated at his impassive attitude.

"You're transferring," It was more of a statement and accusation than a question. At her tone, Roy's lips tugged into a slight frown and he gently set his pen down.

"You act as if I had a choice," He said seriously, "The Furher specifically requested me, I couldn't say no."

"I know that, but…" Her voice barely above a whisper. "What am I going to do?" She asked desperately when he was silent.

"What do you mean, Major?" The added title felt like a blow to the chest- the two were never the best of friends, but on serious occasions, it wasn't uncommon for them to be on a first name basis. Roy was like a mentor to her- ever since she joined the military, he was always there to watch her back and keep her grounded. He was there to pick her back up when others pushed her down simply for her eye-color; he was her support system for years and now he was leaving. Roy's emotionless tone and professional approach to what Linor though was a serious matter left her speechless for a moment.

"What I mean- You're leaving me alone." Linor stuttered as if the problem was obvious.

"You aren't my subordinate to take," He clarified, Linor's head flooding with words to say, but none forming coherent sentences. Roy sighed and rose from his chair, not able to see her eyes past the shades, but knowing they were glossed over with the thought of being betrayed. "Listen," He murmured gently, finally breaking the formal tone and placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "You can't rely on me forever. You need to stand on your own- move forward by yourself. You're capable, Linor, but you are so afraid of your people's past that it runs your life. You hold on so tightly to the discrimination of your Ishvalan blood, but you need to push past that." Sliding his hand off her shoulder, he gripped the door handle, stopping for a moment as if thinking on his next words to say. "Your race and your past are part of who you are, but they don't define you. Don't let them see you as just 'another Ishvalan', you're more than that." Finally opening the door, Roy glanced back over his shoulder. "I hope you visit Central again soon." He said more formally now that his subordinates could hear before closing the door behind him and leaving Linor standing paralyzed in his office.


	13. The Call

Sooooo this will be my last chapter for this story. I'm rereading Finding Redemption I think I can do better- the pace is far too fast, and as much as you guys seem to like Linor, I don't feel as if I'm portraying her as my mind completely envisioned. I've been working on updating and rewriting FR all week and I'm liking the new version quite a bit! I'll be making the new FR a new story and leave this up until the FR: Update (FR: Brotherhood, lmao) is caught up to this point in the story. After that, I'll be deleting this one. Next Friday, I'll begin posting chapters to FR: Brotherhood and start my regular Friday update schedule on that one. Please bare with me and I'm so sorry! I really hope you all will be willing to reread the new version! I've changed quite a bit and I think it could be considered a new story while still holding what you all like about this one. Thank you so much for your support! Until next Friday!

* * *

Linor wasn't sure how long she had stood in Roy's office thinking about what he had said, but by the time she felt the need to leave, the Colonel and his subordinates had left. If matters could get worse, she now made her way to Archer's office to report back. She couldn't get Roy's words out of her skull and it even outweighed her dread of seeing Archer. Linor was a grown woman of twenty-two- still young compared to many of the military's personnel but grown nonetheless- however upon hearing what Roy had to say, he made her feel like a child. Everything he had said was right, of course, but to have someone she trusted so undoubtedly say it to her… she was mortified. Every interaction, every meeting, every small detail of her life started with 'what will they think?'. All her thoughts, her actions, her decisions were based off her past and her race- her being Ishvalan. Her fear and anxiety ran her life and affected her work- she never joined her friends at social events, she never attended work parties, she buried her nose in her work, but lacked the backbone and confidence to go above and beyond. While every other officer with an ambition stood out and tried to get ahead whenever they could, Linor stayed back behind the scenes, hoping to be noticed. When the gnawing thoughts began to settle down, she noticed she had stopped and couldn't recall how long she had actually been standing outside of Archer's office.

"Come in," The sickening voice called out when she finally knocked. "Major," Archer greeted through a disconcerting smile. "Welcome back," The words held no care in them as it did with her friends, they were empty, simply for formality.

"Thank you, sir," but so were her's, "I wanted to check in with you, let you know that I'm back and ready to return to work tomorrow." She informed, placing her suitcase on the carpet next to her.

"And not a moment too soon, you're my most reliable subordinate, no one is quite as efficient as you, Major." Linor swallowed the lump in her throat- Archer's words the complete opposite of what Roy had told her. "That's a lovely scarf." He suddenly said, his cold eyes focused on the fabric around her neck. Instinctively moving to touch the scarf as if she forgot she had it on, Linor awkwardly shifted her weight.

"Oh, thank you, sir. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes got it for me." She made sure not to slip up titles this time.

"For what occasion?" Archer questioned, Linor licking her lips and hesitant to respond.

"My birthday," A bit surprised by her answer, Archer quirked a brow.

"Well, I should get you something then, though it might be hard to top that." Linor was baffled by the thought of receiving a gift from her commanding officer.

"N-no need, sir!" She sputtered, "I couldn't possibly accept it!"

"Of course, you could," Archer countered, standing from his seat and circling around to the front of his desk. "If not for your birthday, then as a thank you for being such a dependable subordinate." There he went again, contradicting everything Roy had just said- Her? Dependable? How could she be dependable if she had to depend on others for every aspect of her life? She wasn't sure if Archer was mocking her.

"With all due respect, sir, I think your praise for me is misjudged," Linor mumbled, shifting her shaded gaze to the navy carpet.

"I think my praise for you is highly warranted," Archer said bluntly, Linor shocked at his adamant faith in her. "You're hard-working, diligent, and your loyalty is commendable. You're my most trustworthy subordinate." Hearing his thoughts on her, Linor wasn't sure whether to feel appreciative or guilty. To hear he trusted her after she went out of her way to talk poorly of him and went behind his back to help Roy with the Scar case, it made her stomach churn remorsefully.

"Lieutenant Colonel… I'm not…" Linor trailed off, battling with her thoughts on whether or not to continue. "I'm not as trustworthy as you might think. Scar's case files…"

"I know, you brought them to Colonel Mustang," Stunned by his knowledge, Linor looked up at him. "I don't fault you," Archer admitted, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned on the edge of his desk. "You were helping a friend, I understand that." Somehow Linor sensed a 'but' coming up. "Just be careful around Colonel Mustang," Not quite the 'but' she was expecting, it threw her off guard. "He's an ambitious man, Major. He may be your friend, but his desires may outweigh that. I wouldn't want you to get dragged down in his path." If he thought Roy would throw his friends under the bus for his ambitions, he didn't know Roy… but here Linor thought Roy would always be there for her and he was leaving for Central without telling her. "You had a long trip, Major. Perhaps you should get home and unpack, get some rest." Normally Linor would have brushed off his concern as fake, and maybe it was because this was the most personal the two had ever gotten, but he almost sounded as if he cared for her well-being for a moment. "You're dismissed, Major." Bowing deeply, Linor held the position for a moment longer than normal.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel," She muttered, more genuinely than she ever had, before she left.

POV SHIFT (ARCHER)

When the door to his office clicked shut, a devious smile slithered its way onto Archer's face. He wasn't sure what Mustang had said to the young woman, but he had to silently thank him for it. Returning to the back of his desk, Archer continued on his paperwork. The sun was just setting over East City- late for a man that had gotten into the office right as the sun rose- but he was expecting a call and couldn't leave, despite how much he wanted to. The clock on the wall ticked quietly in his office, just hitting five minutes past when the phone finally rang.

"_Hello, Lieutenant Colonel,"_ A sultry voice lulled on the other side of the line.

"Later than I would have liked," Archer replied, ceasing his scribbling and gently tapping his pen on the desk.

"_So sorry,"_ The feminine voice drawled sweetly, but sarcastically. "_Didn't want to interrupt your conversation."_ Realizing that the woman must have had one of her lackies watching either him or Linor, Archer's eyes scanned the room instinctively. "_Any luck with your Ishvalan girl?"_ The woman finally asked. The corners of Archer's mouth tugged up at the use of the possessive term.

"I have a plan," Archer admitted, swerving lightly in his chair to look out the window behind him. "She still trusts Mustang too much, but I'll fix that." The thought of the Flame Alchemist made Archer's eyes narrow and blood boil. "His transfer to Central is making things easier- she's scared and vulnerable."

"_Hmmm, yes about that,"_ Her voice hummed, "_You'll be transferring to Central here soon as well." _Immediately feeling a wave of irritation at her words, Archer turned back around to face his desk.

"What do you mean?" He hissed, almost breaking his cold and calm demeanor.

"_Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is learning a bit too much for the Furher's liking,"_ She explained, using Hughes' titles as a joke. "_Envy will be taking care of it soon, but he'll need a replacement."_

"The whole point of sending Mustang to Central was to keep her _away_ from him," Archer growled.

"_No, the whole point of sending Mustang to Central was to keep an eye on him," _The woman retaliated, losing her seductive tone and becoming cross. "_He's a loose cannon and the Furher wants to keep him under control."_ At his acquaintance's words, Archer narrowed his eyes and pursed his thin lips. When he didn't respond, the woman continued, dropping the snappy attitude and sounding indifferent. "_Keeping Mustang under collar and leash will help you, but your Ishvalan isn't integral to our plan and if she goes down with Mustang, so be it. The Furher may have agreed to let you try and convince her, but I couldn't care less. She's of no use to me- if you want her, you'd better do it fast." _Seething, Archer glared at the papers on his desk, fingers tapping angrily on the wood. "_Finish up all you need to in East City, you'll be transferring within the week. Have a nice night, Lieutenant Colonel." _She said spitefully before the line went dead.


End file.
